harry potter and the deathly hallows of life
by amyofghod
Summary: the horsemen


**1: The First Step**

Harry Potter was different. He knew that, though he did not want it. His scar, his magical ability, his courage, his 'saving people thing', as Hermione put it, all compounded to make him special, though he desired no such thing. Who would want to be famous because their parents had died while they survived?

Harry sat under a willow tree in the cold, abandoned park. He knew, with the war in full swing and Death Eaters abounding everywhere, that he should not be out in the open, but he didn't care. He was still hurting over the death of Albus Dumbledore, the Only One Voldemort Ever Feared – if one believed such titles.

A rustle in the grass nearby heralded the arrival of someone. Harry looked up to find Arabella Figg, waiting to talk to him. He only nodded at her, then went back to staring at the dewy ground.

"You can't be blaming yourself, Harry," Mrs. Figg said sharply, in a way reminiscent of Minerva McGonagall, "so what's wrong with you? Hogwarts is still open, barely, but there you go. You can go back to school, finish your education..." Mrs. Figg sat down next to him. "Tell me what's wrong, Harry. If I can, I'll help. I promised you that, remember?"

Now, this was about as big a twist of personality as Harry had ever encountered before. His last meeting with the cat-crazy woman had been… strange, to say the least. Harry now suspected Mrs Figg bred Kneazles, rather than plain, Muggle cats.

Harry looked her over. Mrs Figg was wearing her usual tartan carpet slippers and her clanking string shopping bag of cat food.

"When did you promise me that you'd help?"

"Last – Years ago, Harry."

Harry looked suspiciously at her. "I'm not going back to Hogwarts. I'm going to finish this war with the help of my friends," he said, looking at her.

Mrs. Figg looked genuinely surprised. "Not going back to Hogwarts?" she gasped, and then looked at Harry. "Where are you going to go? You won't finish the war in Privet Drive."

Harry snorted. "You're right. That's why Ron, Hermione, and I are going to Godric's Hollow as soon as we can work out where it is. The beginning of the end… where it all began."

Mrs. Figg looked at Harry. "I don't approve of you three going off alone. Why not take a member of the Order with you?"

She watched him as he jerked around to look at her. "We can't let anyone else come. They'll say constantly that we're going about it all wrong, thinking they know better." Harry turned back around to stare off at the abandoned playthings whirling about in the Dementor fog. "And I don't want to have to look out for anyone else. I'd rather do it on my own, but they insisted."

Mrs. Figg pursed her lips. "I have a map you can use to find Godric's Hollow. It's in the middle of the Irish Sea. I've seen both Muggles and wizards alike make their homes on that island, far from the eyes of the government."

Harry looked around at Mrs. Figg. "I thought you didn't approve?"

"I don't, but I can't stand in the way of a hero and his destiny, can I? Especially when it might save the world." Mrs. Figg laughed lightly at Harry's puzzled face. "All I ask is that you take one of my cats. They all know how to use Portkeys and Floo powder and such. If you get into trouble, it'll be good to have someone you can send for help who won't be ambushed on the way. And they're smart."

Harry stood up. "Thank you, Mrs. Figg."

"Not at all, not at all. Help me up." She held out a hand and Harry pulled her to her feet. "Right. Back to my place."

The pair walked off through the fog, unaware of the watchful eye of Dudley Dursley, who was following them so quietly that nothing could be heard in the fog.

Mrs. Figg returned to the living room where she'd left Harry with a can of soft drink and a piece of chocolate cake. He was looking at a photograph of Mr. Tibbles when she returned. He turned to look at her.

"Are all your cats Kneazles?"

Mrs. Figg nodded. "All but a couple. They were the best that money could buy." Mrs. Figg looked at the piece of parchment in her hands. "This is the map. It's not very clear, like I thought it was, but it does have all the things you need. Location, for one."

Harry smiled at her. "Thank you, Mrs. Figg."

Mrs. Figg waved it off. "Don't worry about it, Mr. Potter."

Harry looked back at the photographs, as still as Muggle ones. "Which Kneazle am I taking with me?"

"Mr. Tibbles, of course," Mrs. Figg said, placing the map on the table. "Come and have a look at this so I know you know where you're going."

The map was only small. A tiny island, of both hills and flat fields, was located seemingly at the base of Wales. Harry looked closely, studying the map.

"You won't get it right unless you come around this side, Mr. Potter. Upside down maps lead you in strange directions." Mrs. Figg smiled at Harry as he walked around the coffee table and sat next to her, leaning over the map.

After a few minutes of Harry's pondering, Mrs. Figg rolled the map up. He was about to protest when she handed him the rolled parchment.

"Know where you're going?" she asked.

Harry nodded. "To the east of Dublin, about twenty miles out to sea."

Mrs. Figg smiled and nodded. "Right. Now, let's see why your cousin followed us home, shall we?"

Harry looked startled but stood up, looking out of the magical spy hole in the large wooden door. He looked down, and the spy hole followed his gaze. Dudley was crouched by the door, listening through the crack at the bottom. If the fog hadn't been so thick as to keep everybody at home, he would have been laughed at or shrieked at incessantly, crouched over on the porch, listening at the door.

"Hello, Dudley." Harry opened the door to find that Dudley was standing back a few paces, the knees of his large jeans dirty, his hands hidden in his pockets. Harry leaned against the doorframe. "What are you doing here?"

Dudley ignored the question. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Tut tut, Dudley, that's no way to get answers." Harry stepped back and opened the door wider. "Inside."

Dudley frowned at Harry, making no move to enter.

"Inside or I'll hex you." Harry pulled out his wand for effect. Dudley scampered inside, away from the implied hexing.

"Mr. Dursley. How nice to see you here," Mrs. Figg said pleasantly. "Why _are_ you here?"

Dudley wrinkled his nose, presumably against the smell of boiled cabbage that still wafted through the house. "Seeing what _he_ –" Dudley nodded his head to Harry "–was here for. Are you sending him away?"

Mrs. Figg stood up. "Sit down, Dudley, and I'll get you some cake."

Dudley shook his head. "N-No! You'll do something to it!"

Mrs. Figg shrugged and sat down again. "Harry is going on a little trip to alleviate the fog surrounding Little Whinging."

"But–you–"

"I am merely helping him along, Mr. Dursley. Where he goes or what he does has no bearing on me." Mrs. Figg leaned back in her chair.

Harry looked at her. Something wasn't right with this scene – although, having a Dursley and a member of the magical world in the same room was strange enough.

Dudley looked skittish. "But he is going?"

Mrs. Figg nodded. Harry spoke.

"I am leaving Privet Drive, Dudley."

Dudley nodded and glanced at the door. Like Pettigrew.

Harry saw the glance and waved it off as Dudley's paranoia. But when he did it again, Harry stepped forward. " _Stupefy!_ "

Dudley went crashing to the floor. Mrs. Figg stood up. "Harry? What–?"

He looked coldly at her. "This isn't Dudley. This is Peter Pettigrew."

"How do you know that?" Mrs. Figg demanded.

"Because you're dead, Mrs. Figg. Voldemort's supporters killed you a week ago."

Mrs. Figg looked startled.

"What? Startled I read the papers? She died in the crossfire between Order members and Death Eaters at Hogwarts."

Mrs. Figg paled.

"You're Professor McGonagall, under Polyjuice Potion. You act like Professor McGonagall, not like Mrs. Figg. She vanished unexplainably before you turned up as I sat under the willow."

Mrs. Figg sighed. "You're right, Harry. She did die in that crossfire. However, how do you know that this is not Dudley?"

"Even under the threat of a hexing, he would not have entered this house. He would have run off." Harry picked up the map to Godric's Hollow. "Is this real?"

"It is." Professor McGonagall-in-Mrs. Figg's-skin sat down opposite Harry. "Now, Mr Potter, do you plan on travelling to Godric's Hollow?"

Harry looked up in time to see her reach for a cup of tea. "No Polyjuice. I want to talk to you without it for a bit." McGonagall looked down at her clothes, swished her wand and they changed into the type of robes she usually wore.

"I am going to Godric's Hollow, with Ron and Hermione. But first I have to go to Bill and Fleur's wedding." Harry looked at the watch strapped to his wrist. "Which is in a few hours."

"What do you plan to do with Dudley, seeming as you just Stunned him?"

Harry looked thoughtful. "Can you do a spell that returns people under the influence of Polyjuice Potion back to themselves?"

McGonagall shook her head. "Only time will change them back, unless they had an accident with it, like Miss Granger a few years ago. Now, while we wait, tell me your plans to end the war. What makes you think you can survive, even if you are the 'Chosen One', as the _Prophet_ has taken to calling you?"

"Please don't call me that," Harry said with a look of disgust.

Before they could continue, however, there was a squelching noise. Dudley had become super-thin, and taken on the look of Peter Pettigrew, including the silver hand.

"Told you." Harry took a bite of the chocolate cake he'd placed on the table when he'd left to invite Dudley in. McGonagall stared at Pettigrew.

"How long has he been imitating your cousin?" she asked Harry, looking calmly at him.

"I wouldn't say too long. Apparently he gets nervous about being around me. He would have given himself away ages ago if he had been pretending. I'd say for about a week. That's when Dudley started acting strange." Harry stood up and pointed his wand at Pettigrew. "However, I say we do something to ensure he never tells anyone my plans."

McGonagall stood up sharply at that. "You can't. The Order will take him and get all the information we can from him. Then we'll ensure he does not tell anything he has learnt to Voldemort." McGonagall looked coldly down her nose at the prone Pettigrew.

Harry nodded slowly. "I can't look after him while I'm travelling. You can." Harry walked past Pettigrew, stopped, returned and stood beside the Stunned man. He viciously kicked Pettigrew, and, nodding to the shocked McGonagall, left the house, Mr. Tibbles leaping into his arms at the front door.

 **2: The Talk**

Harry hurried around his room, collecting the last few things he'd left scattered about the place. As he threw his last book into the trunk at the foot of his bed, he looked about the room thinking of the house. It had been sixteen years since he'd been dropped off, six years since he'd moved into this room, five since he had been locked in it, four since he'd run from the house, three since he'd been rescued by the Weasleys, two since he'd been rescued by the Order, one since he'd been escorted to The Burrow by Dumbledore. Now he was off to the Weasleys' again, to attend Bill and Fleur's wedding, though the happiness of the occasion might be spoiled by the copious amounts of fog hanging around.

Harry nodded decisively. He picked up the handle of his trunk, put his wand in the holster Hermione and Ron had given him for his birthday. He took a deep breath, made his way from the room and walked down the hall towards the stairs.

"Just where do you think you're going, boy?" Vernon demanded as Harry stood in the hall.

"I'm leaving. This is the last you'll ever see of me, if I have my way." Harry walked past Vernon, pulling his trunk along behind him. He had cast a Featherweight Charm on the trunk at the end of term, knowing that it would make the Dursleys nervous to see him carrying it around on his shoulder.

"Don't let the door hit you on the way out!" Vernon yelled down the stairs after Harry.

Harry slammed the door after himself, then felt a small twist on his mind. _The wards must have collapsed_.

Harry shrugged and pulled his wand out. As he had left without telling anyone that he would go, he had no choice but to use the Knight Bus. He stood on the sidewalk and raised his wand. As a purple, triple-decker bus roared down the far end of the street, three Aurors strode silently around the side of the house, having Apparated behind it. Harry raised his wand at them, ignoring the Bus pulling up behind him.

The Aurors stopped when they saw that Harry had his wand raised, focussed entirely on them.

"Who are you?" Harry demanded. "Why are you here?"

The Aurors raised their hands, showing that they were unarmed. Harry kept his wand on them.

"We're just here for a little… chat!"

The Auror to the left swished his fingers and Harry found himself flying through the air and hitting the Dursleys' car, causing a great dent. As Vernon opened the front door to see what was going on, an _Avada Kedavra_ hit him in the chest, coming from the second Auror.

Inside the house, Harry heard Petunia scream. It was cut short by another _Avada Kedavra._

Harry stood up as straight as he could with a splinter of bone protruding from his arm. The Aurors turned to face Harry again as ten people appeared around them, their wands trailed on the Aurors.

Among the new-arrivals, Harry recognised Mad-Eye Moody, a haggard Remus Lupin, a furious Nymphadora Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt. They all shouted Stunning Spells at the three Aurors, who crumbled to the ground, overwhelmed.

"Harry, come here," Lupin said, motioning Tonks to approach as well; Tonks obliged, but Harry hung back.

"How do I know it's you?" Harry asked, watching Lupin and Moody.

"Ask me a question," Lupin said, and Harry frowned.

"What was playing at the Weasley Christmas last year?"

"Celestina Warbeck," Lupin answered, then motioned Harry closer. This time, Harry obliged.

Lupin Side-Along Apparated Harry to The Burrow, and Tonks acted as a scout to drop him off at the edge of the wards. She tapped the broken bone of his arm with her wand and it healed, the skin closing over it; Tonks had seen and repaired worse fractures than Harry's.

"We have to go see to the Aurors," Tonks explained, looking back at his face. She was looking as she was at Dumbledore's funeral, with bubble-gum pink hair.

Harry nodded to Tonks and Lupin. They looked over his shoulder, smiled and Disapparated.

"Harry!" a voice called from behind him as he turned to look at The Burrow, coming from a red-haired figure making his way through the fog. New scars flashed in the weak sunlight.

"Hello, Bill. How are you and Fleur?" Harry asked as the muscular Weasley picked up his trunk, set it on his shoulder and shook Harry's hand.

"We're all great. Mum sent me down to collect you when you arrived. Best not keep her waiting." Bill grinned at Harry. "I'll race you to The Burrow."

"But you've got my trunk -" Harry protested, but Bill cut him off.

"That'll even it up. I want to see how the Boy Who Lived matches up to me." Bill grinned and took off up the drive, jogging along the trunk bouncing on his shoulder. Harry rolled his eyes and started running, keeping his wand in his hand as he negotiated the fog-covered track. He was barely keeping Bill in view.

"Come on, Potter," Bill called over his shoulder. Harry shook his head and used the last of his energy to shoot ahead of Bill, tripping over a hen in the front yard. Bill jogged over and helped the red-faced Harry to his feet. "You need to work on your fitness, Harry. How are you going to defeat You-Know-Who if you can't even beat me?"

"Just-just don't put me up against-Charlie," Harry said, panting for breath as he straightened up.

Bill and Harry walked towards The Burrow. Just as they reached the door, it was thrown open and Ginny and Hermione stood in the doorway.

"Harry!" they yelled, throwing their arms around him.

The three of them tottered backwards. Bill, who saw it coming, had stepped out of the way and was grinning down at Harry, who was being hugged by the pair of girls. The faces of Fred and George appeared above Harry.

"Oh, breaker of hearts-"

"-what are you doing-"

"-lying in the dirt-"

"-with our sister-"

"-your girlfriend-"

"-and your friend-"

"-our brother's girlfriend-"

"-hugging you like-"

"—you're their -"

Harry yelped, turned red and moved to sit up. Ginny hugged him tighter. Hermione stood up, fixed her sweater and grinned at the boys. "Jealous?"

"Oh, no-"

"-but our brother-"

"-might be a different case."

Hermione rolled her eyes and held out her hand to Harry. Harry, grinning, took it and shook it.

"Nice to meet you, Hermione," Harry said, then looked to Ginny, who was smiling at him. He smiled back before he shook his head and moved to sit up again.

"Harry? I need to talk to you." Ginny didn't move, even as Harry tried to sit up. He gave up, and looked at Bill, Hermione, Fred and George from where he was, still lying in the dirt.

"We'll let you talk to Ginny -"

"-oh breaker of hearts-"

"-as long as you promise to return her-"

"-with a grin on her face."

"It's not very good to see her frowning-"

"-glaring-"

"-storming around-"

"-every day-"

"-every week-"

"-since Hogwarts was closed for the year."

"You two have got to stop doing that," Harry complained, lying back in the dirt and holding his head as Ginny and the twins grinned.

"No problem-"

"-oh breaker of hearts."

Harry groaned as the twins left with Hermione.

"I'll take this up to Ron's room," Bill said, then patted Ginny on the shoulder. "Don't be too hard on him." Before Harry or Ginny could say anything, the eldest Weasley child walked into The Burrow and shut the door behind him.

Ginny turned to Harry, whom she was still lying across. "I'll let you up if you promise not to run."

"Promise," Harry said.

Ginny sat up and Harry followed suit, sitting in the dirt across from Ginny. He pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. Looking at his feet rather than at Ginny, Harry felt himself blush. Ginny stared at Harry's head, waiting for him to look at her. When he did, she finally started to speak.

"Harry, I've been thinking about what you said at the end of last term-"

Harry looked away. "Please, Ginny, don't-"

"Don't interrupt!" Ginny glared at him, and then smiled when he looked down. "As I said, I've been thinking about what you said. I have a few points to bring up for _you_ to think about. I know I seemed to have accepted what you said, but I screamed my lungs out a few times. I won't accept your reasons anymore.

"My first reason is that I want to get Voldemort back for possessing me in first year. I _barely_ did anything to stop him at the end of term and at the Ministry I only helped to _delay_ the Death Eaters. I _need_ to help you with this, Harry, if only to stand by and watch _you_ destroy the evil bastard."

"But, Ginny, I-"

"I said, don't interrupt. Let me give my things for you to think about. You can give me your arguments after the wedding.

"You said that Voldemort uses those you love to get to you. Harry, if I were to stay behind with Mum and Dad, I'd still be as big a target as I would be with you. Whether you realise it or not, because I dated you, Voldemort will come after me, if not to get to you, then because I'm part of a family that supports Dumbledore and the Order: my parents are open conspirators against Voldemort himself, I didn't exactly stop you from destroying him, nor have I expressed any desire to join him. Like my family, I'm as high on the list of people to kill as you, or Hermione, or Dumbledore."

Ginny got to her feet as the kitchen door opened and a collection of blonde-haired people walked out of The Burrow and called out French hellos to Harry.

"Think on it, Harry. We'll talk again after the wedding."

With that, Ginny vanished amongst Fleur's relatives, leaving Harry to think about all she'd said to him as a sea of Delacours washed over him, helping him up.

 **3: The Wedding**

"I vow my life, my love, my magic and my soul to you, Fleur Delacour." Bill lifted his wand and placed the tip on the top of Fleur's head.

"I vow my life, my love, my magic and my soul to you, William Weasley." Fleur returned the gesture. Golden light sprouted from the wand tips, the beams of light joining together at the top of the arch reaching between their heads.

The wizards gathered around the pair stood and clapped loudly as they kissed, sealing the magical vows. Arthur was cradling his wife in his arms; Molly was smiling and crying at her eldest child. Her cry of, "First born, first married!" could be heard above the clapping.

Harry smiled at the pair as they turned and bowed to the crowd. Fleur was wearing a long, Muggle wedding dress. The goblin-wrought tiara sitting in her long, pale hair did look beautiful in the foggy lantern- and wand-light. Beside Fleur, Bill was wearing simple black dress robes, and looked plain next to the half-Veela.

Ginny and Gabrielle looked out of place in hot-pink dresses. They clashed horribly with Ginny's hair, and Gabrielle's constant blush. Gabrielle blushed every time she saw Fleur and Bill kiss, or when she caught a look at Harry in his green dress robes.

The wizard and Veela crowd gathered around the pair and congratulated them. Then the music started, a slow waltz, and Fleur and Bill opened the traditional dance with the bridal waltz. The crowd backed away and let them glide gracefully around the dance floor. Bill's ear was glinting from where he had changed his usual dragon-fang earring for one that sparkled like a diamond claw.

 _A symbol for Fleur,_ Harry concluded, looking for Ginny.

Past the dancing pair, Ginny caught Harry's eye from where she was talking to Gabrielle. Nearby, Tonks was dancing with Remus Lupin. Her hair matched the bridesmaids' dresses, and was as long as Ginny's. It simply made Tonks look ridiculous.

Harry waited for Ginny to finish talking to Gabrielle. When she locked eyes with him, he gestured with his head towards an empty table. Ginny nodded and made her way over to the table, and Harry.

"What have you come up with?" Ginny asked, taking a bite out of a bread roll.

Harry leaned back in the chair, closing his eyes against the glare of the hot-pink dress. "I can't think of a reason that we can't date. However, there is a reason why we can't both go travelling around the countryside, kicking Death Eater butt and destroying Voldemort. You need to look after your parents."

Ginny glared fiercely at Harry. "There are plenty of people who can look after Mum and Dad. Fred, George and Charlie are living here, as are Bill and Fleur, and Fleur's family. Come on, Harry. If you don't let me go, I'll just follow you." Ginny pulled the bread roll apart, then put it down and looked at Harry.

Harry sighed and slumped in his seat. Ginny put a hand on his shoulder massaging gently.

"Don't try to protect me, Harry. That's my job. Yours is to destroy Voldemort. I'll watch over you while you do."

Harry just sighed and sat up. He couldn't think of anything to say against her arguments that would make sense. He smiled weakly at Ginny. "All right. You win. Just don't get hurt."

Ginny grinned. "Wouldn't dream of it, Harry, wouldn't dream of it. Now all we have to do is tell my family I'm missing out on both years of my N.E.W.T.s to go hunting with you, Ron and Hermione."

"Maybe the four of us should just leave a note and run away?" Harry suggested.

"Do you know where we're going?"

"I do."

"Then let's go tell Hermione and Ron we're leaving."

"We're doing WHAT?" Ron yelled.

Hermione and Harry shushed him as they lead him back to The Burrow, where Ginny was waiting. The sun had just set beyond the fog. The lounge room they were standing in was in almost-total darkness.

"I said, we're leaving tonight, while everyone's either drunk or distracted." Harry put a hand over his taller friend's mouth. "No more questions until we're in your room."

Soon enough, the three of them were on their way up to Ron's room, their wand tips alight to prevent Mrs. Weasley coming to check on lights in empty rooms. Once the three of them were in his room, Ron spoke up.

"What's Ginny doing here? She's not coming."

"And why not?" the other three asked as one. Ron paled.

"Because she's too-"

"Say 'young' and I'll hex you," Ginny hissed, her wand in her hand.

Ron frowned but went quiet. Outside the window, a half-moon was rising and the sun was setting through the fog.

"We have to get a move on," Harry said, looking out the window at the lights fighting fuzzily through the fog. "If Mrs. Weasley suspects anything, we won't be able to leave for months. Everyone pack your essentials in your trunk, not too heavy-that means only a few books, Hermione-and some clothes. Hermione can shrink them so we can carry them in our pockets."

"I'll write the note for Mum and Dad," Ginny volunteered. Ron opens his mouth to protest, but Ginny was already making her way down to her room, Hermione on her heels.

"Let's get cracking," Harry suggested, opening his trunk. "We're going to need the biggest head-start we can get."

Ron nodded decisively and opened his trunk and wardrobe.

In the end, Harry had his clothes and an assortment of items in his trunk-his Invisibility Cloak, Sneakoscope, and other little things that could help them, including the map to Godric's Hollow that McGonagall had given him. Ron and Hermione had finished by the time Harry had, and both were waiting for Ginny to finish the letter. Hermione shrank the trunks as Ginny wrote. Eventually, Ginny sat back and Hermione picked the parchment up, blowing on it slightly to dry the ink before reading it aloud.

" _Dear Mum and Dad._

 _"Harry, Ron, Hermione and I are going to Godric's Hollow, to start on the way to destroying Voldemort. The Order has tried and failed - they can continue on the way they are going. We're simply going to do it our own way, without the hassle of trying to co-ordinate the Order around us._

 _"We'll send you regular mail with Hedwig and Pig. Don't search for us. We won't be found._

 _"Lots of love,_

 _"Ginny."_

"Very good, Gin. They might just think we've been taken by Death Eaters."

Ginny blushed. "Is that good or bad?"

Hermione shrugged. "As they will."

"Okay, you three. Let's go before we change our minds." Ron picked up his trunk, put it in his pocket, stood up and headed for the door.

Hermione, Harry and Ginny followed suit. In the kitchen, they left the note on the table, then made their way to the fireplace.

4: Brogue Road

"' _Don't search for us. We won't be found'_?" Mrs. Weasley collapsed into the couch, shaking like a leaf and as pale as a ghost. "Arthur!" she screeched.

Mrs. Weasley heard Mr. Weasley stumble down the stairs. He burst into the room with his glasses on sideways. "Yes? What –?"

"Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny are gone, and I found this note!" Mrs. Weasley thrust the note at her husband, who straightened his glasses and began to read. The Weasley Matriarch rose to her feet, still shaking. "What if a Death Eater took them?"

Arthur went white, but looked up at his wife. "It's Ginny's handwriting, dear, not rushed at all. It sounds like her too."

"What should we do?"

Arthur looked up sharply at Molly. "We wait for the others to wake up, then we start searching. I'll go to the Ministry and see whether our Floo was used, and to where."

Molly nodded faintly. Still white, she set off towards the kitchen, then started banging and crashing, making breakfast for all the people living under her roof.

"Why didn't you wake us?" Charlie demanded, standing up. Everyone in the house was gathered in the living room.

"We have to set out immediately." Fred stood up to join his brother. Everyone else in the room nodded.

"We need a plan," Fleur called. Gabrielle was standing between her and their mother, holding Fleur's hand.

"Everyone sit down. Arthur's gone to the Magical Transportation Office in the Ministry to find out whether the Floo was used, and to where." Molly handed around a tray of cakes and biscuits. With the grave news that the Saviour of the Wizarding World had vanished, the Veela that had remained after the wedding made no objections to eating the heavy treats. All five of them, including Gabrielle Delacour and her mother Isabella, seemed as scared as the Weasleys.

Just as Molly got the empty tray back, Arthur appeared in the flames. He stepped out and brushed off the soot. Bill, Charlie and George all stood to help him, but he waved them off.

"Where are they, Dad?" Charlie asked, sitting down nervously.

"They went to _The Starring Wand_ , the pub that opens up to Dublin's Wizarding Street –"

Outcries, roars and cheers let up from around the room. The relief at knowing the teens' location was tangible.

"–at seven o'clock last night."

"Thirteen 'ours? Ze trail will be cold after zat amount of time!" Fleur cried. Her mother placed her hands on her shoulders.

"But it is a trail. We can enquire at _The Starring Wand_ as to where they went, and follow that. We might get closer to them. Now," Mr Weasley raised his voice, "I need five others to help with the search."

Voices clamoured from the group of people. Tonks, Remus and other Order members were the loudest, after Gabrielle, Bill and Charlie. Mr Weasley took a step back.

"Okay. Remus, Charlie, Kingsley, Tonks, Mrs. Delacour, if you wish."

There was outcry at this. Mrs. Isabelle Delacour made her way to the front of the room with the others.

"Why not me or Fleur?" Bill demanded.

"You've just been married. Enjoy it."

"How can I enjoy it? My baby brother and sister are missing!"

Arthur walked out of the room, towards the kitchen. The volunteered people walked quickly out of the room, following Arthur to the fireplace and roaring through the Floo to _The Starring Wand_.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny appeared inside a well-lit pub, with booming business, in the true stereotypical tradition. Many witches and wizards were sitting down at tables and at the counter, having dinner and a pint as they talked about the happenings of their neighbours, their friends and the people they worked with. It was a merry atmosphere, shared by the small group of leprechauns in the corner.

"What're yeh doin' here, kiddies, wit'out yer parents?" one of the closest drinkers asked, looking at the quartet.

"Leave 'em alone, Brian, t'ey'll be off teh t'e broom shop in Brogue Road." The man sitting next to Brian smiled at the two redheads, and then winked at Harry. "'Paren'ly, two of 'em are locals. The black-head looks teh be a Harry Potter fan, dressed just like he would."

"Come off i', Tal," Brian said.

"Neh, yeh come off i'!" Tal said, outraged. "Jus' because you've had too many pin's wit yer dinner –"

"Let's get out of here," Hermione whispered to the others.

They all nodded and walked away from the bickering drinkers, heading towards the back door of the pub.

Hermione removed her wand from its cover as she left the pub. There was the same empty backyard as in London. Quickly deducing what she had to do, Hermione counted bricks and gave the correct one a good whack with her wand. The bricks started moving aside, and she grinned at the others.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"How did you know to do that?" Ron demanded in shock, as the four of them started forward.

"Well, if there's international travel by wizards, then it would make sense to have all the shopping districts accessible the same way, to prevent confusion."

Harry nodded slowly. "Does make sense." He clapped his hands to snap himself out of his trance. "Okay. We need a boat or a way to travel the Irish Sea. We'll also need tents, food, drinks, anything else we'd need to travel."

"We'll take the tents," Ginny said, indicating Harry and herself.

"I'll take the groceries," Ron said.

"Looks like I'm on everything else," Hermione said, then smiled.

The three groups split up and headed into Brogue Road.

5: Godric's Hollow

Arthur and the search team stepped out of the Floo in the _Starring Wands_ just in time to see Ginny exiting the pub, followed by a big, muscular red-haired man.

"Does anyone know where zey're going?" Mrs. Delacour asked in her heavily accented English.

Lupin, Charlie, Kingsley, Tonks, Mrs. Delacour, and Arthur looked at each other, then ran to follow the big man and Ginny. They burst through the door to find that no one was in the back yard of the _Starring Wands_.

"Where'd they go?" Lupin asked, as Mrs. Delacour stepped forward pulling out her very long, thin wand.

She smartly tapped the same brick as Hermione had, and the doorway to Brogue Road opened in front of them. Through the red- and blonde-haired crowd, Arthur just spied Harry's shocking head of black hair disappearing into a shop.

"Into that shop!" Arthur declared loudly. He rushed forwards, the others right behind him.

"Thanks for lending us your boat, Mr. O'Doyll," Harry said, handing the man a small bag that clinked as it changed hands. The head start that the teens had gained had been eaten away by the search for a boat, and the opening of the store that sold them.

"T'at's alright, me boy," he said, pocketing the gold and handing Harry a small key. "T'is'll take yeh to t'e boat."

Harry smiled and took the key. "How do I activate it?"

Mr. O'Doyll motioned for them all to gather around the Portkey and touch it. "Yeh say… pin' o' mead!"

The Portkey activated, whisking the four away just before Arthur and the rest of the search party arrived inside the shop.

"Where did you send those children?" Arthur demanded.

The boat was a magically enhanced one that sailed at twice the speed of a normal sailing yacht, even without any wind. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny made their way to the island-village of Godric's Hollow with only one or two corrections of the course. The boat was, of course, sailed by magic.

"I can see land, Harry," Ron said, standing on the front of the ship. "I think it's Godric's Hollow."

Harry looked at the map in his hands. It looked to be the right distance away to be Godric's Hollow. "I guess we'd better start slowing this ship down, then," Harry said, tapping his wand on the side of the boat, followed by Ron, Hermione and Ginny. They could immediately detect a change in the speed of the yacht as it reacted to their wishes, and five minutes later, they all stood on the dock at Godric's Hollow.

"This island's beautiful," Ginny whispered, looking at the giant mountain in front of them. It was almost impossible to think of such a mountain in the Irish Sea, but it was there, as plain as the wand in Harry's hand.

The mountain seemed to be a little too small to create valleys that might give the island the name of Godric's Hollow. Nevertheless, Harry and his friends set off towards the mountain, leaving the boat properly tied up at the docks.

"I'm sorry, bu' until t'ey return wit me boat, I have no way of getting yeh to t'e island," Mr. O'Doyll said, on the receiving end of five wands.

"Where were they going?" Mr. Weasley demanded.

"Godric's Hollow," said Mr. O'Doyll, watching the wand up close to his nose nervously, "but I told t'em, I told t'em tat since You-Know-Who arrived tar, tar's no one liven tar."

Mr. Weasley frowned, but put his wand away. The others followed his example. Mr. O'Doyll breathed deeply.

"I taught you were really goin' teh curse me," he said, relieved not to be facing the working end of Mr. Weasley's wand anymore. The search party was already heading out of the door.

 _Crack!_

Charlie's head jumped up. Figures in dark clothes were swirling around the street, cursing and hexing anyone within sight. Dementors descended on the scene, attacking those not quick enough to reach their wands. The mist and cold that accompanied them was stopped by the wards on the area, but the fear and emptiness they induced still affected the wizards.

"Death Eaters!" Mrs. Delacour yelled, and immediately the witches and wizards shopping pulled out their wands and pointed them at the Death Eaters. Only a few amongst the crowd ran, and they were only the very young.

The search party pulled out their wands to help fight the Death Eaters, who had been stunned to temporary immobility by the fact that the crowds were _fighting back_.

Eventually, they simply Apparated away, not even casting the Dark Mark into the sky, though there were at least three casualties. The Irish shoppers seemed to nod in unison and relatives and friends moved to the bodies of the fallen ones. There was still a chill in the air from the Dementors, their mist still floating above the scene of the fight, but unable to penetrate the wards on Brogue Road.

"Well," Kingsley said, scratching his bald head as he looked around at the shoppers, "at least we know the Irish's fighting spirit'll come in useful when it comes to Death Eaters."

Lupin, Tonks, Kingsley, Charlie, Mr. Weasley and Mrs. Delacour all looked at each other, still shocked.

Godric's Hollow was a crater in the middle of a dormant volcano. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were standing on its edge, looking down at the village located in the centre. It had taken only a few minutes for them to fly up from the docks to the lip of the crater.

Harry and Ron nodded to the girls, then lifted their brooms. Hermione was still apprehensive; she had never been comfortable flying, but to remain with the group, she'd have to live with her fear. After all, she'd be on Ron's broom, so she could hold onto him for dear life, as she had no broom of her own.

The quartet flew down to the valley floor and looked around at the ruins of the once-prospering village. Apparently, the Muggles had moved out after the magical community fled Voldemort's presence.

"Let's have a look around," Harry said, then smiled crookedly. "Tell me if you find anything to do with my parents."

With that, the quartet spread out, looking in dusty shops and deserted buildings, slowly making their ways up the street.

Hermione gasped and covered her mouth with her left hand, sending up blue sparks from her wand with her right.

She was standing in the cemetery of the island, staring at the two gravestones in front of her. She had moved the grass aside from one of the gravestones, to find James Potter's name staring back at her.

Harry, Ron and Ginny came jogging around the corner, catching sight of Hermione and running full-tilt towards her.

"What'd you find, Hermione?" Harry asked her, coming to a stop behind her, looking over her shoulder.

Hermione pointed at the two gravestones. Harry, Ron and Ginny crowded around to read them.

The left one said,

 _Here_ _lies  
James Potter  
Who died to protect his son and wife.  
May he rest in peace, for he deserves it.  
13/6/1964  
to  
31/10/1981_

And next to the message on the stone was written:

 _May his son live as fair and well as James did._

This message was written in a hand that was not completely unfamiliar to Harry. He recognised it, but could not say who wrote the messy scrawl.

Lily's gravestone was a little better cared for, as though someone had recently come and removed the grass that should have obscured the stone completely.

 _Dear Lily Evans-Potter  
A sweet woman who died  
to save the world's saviour.  
May she now rest easier  
than she did live,  
fighting for what was right.  
21/8/1964  
to  
31/10/1981_

"Wow, Harry," Ginny said, gripping his hand in her own. "Do you think Hagrid returned to bury your parents after Voldemort showed up? I would have thought he was too busy with you."

Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Harry stood in silence for a time, each thanking the Potters for many things.

After a moment of silence, Harry looked up at the others. They all broke out of their trances in their own time and looked to him.

"Let's find my parents' house," he said, and the others nodded. They all left the cemetery to look for the Potters' House.

Harry hung back and picked some wild flowers from a bush. When he returned to the graves, he found Ginny laying flowers on James' grave. Harry smiled and placed his flowers on his mother's grave, then steered Ginny away from the cemetery and down the street.

Harry's mind, however, was ticking. He had recognised that scrawl after a second look. It was that of a certain half-giant.

 _Why didn't Hagrid take me straight to the Dursleys'?_ Harry asked himself. _And how did he build two graves, plus find the marble for the gravestones? Unless…_

: The Dilemma of Peter Pettigrew

While Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny were looking at a plaque affixed to a sign, marking the place they were standing on as the place of James and Lily's murders, Arthur Weasley and Kingsley Shacklebolt were literally running around the Ministry, trying to find someone who knew something about Godric's Hollow, and the place's location.

Nearly everyone in the ministry had heard of the island, but none of them knew where it was. It seemed that the Fidelius Charm that had been designed to hide Lily and James was keeping the whole island secret, and that meant that only one person knew where it was: Peter Pettigrew. Without the map that McGonagall had received from him years ago, she would have been unable to tell them herself, even if they knew she had once held the secret through the map.

Luckily, Pettigrew had been unable to escape the cages of the Order, meaning that Arthur knew exactly where to go to find him.

Now all he had to do was find Minerva McGonagall.

It took almost four hours, but Arthur Weasley finally found himself on his way from Hogwarts, having finally tracked the new Headmistress to a small cottage near Loch Ness. She was one of the few magical people who lived around the loch.

Arthur Apparated on the doorstep of McGonagall's cottage and knocked. Tonks and Kingsley appeared behind him as the door opened.

Minerva was dressed in a pair of tartan robes charmed against the chill.

"Yes, Arthur?"

"We need to talk to Pettigrew," Kingsley said, smiling at her. "You know where he is?"

"Of course. Come in." McGonagall let the three into the small, modest cottage and shut the door behind him. "Would you like some tea?"

"Please." Tonks smiled at McGonagall's pursed lips.

"Have a seat," the crisp professor said, pointing them towards the living room. Three armchairs sat in front of a fire, all looking quite comfortable.

After a few minutes, McGonagall returned with four cups of tea and a tray of biscuits.

"When you've finished your tea, I'll take you down to where Remus and Mad-Eye placed him. We didn't tell you we'd caught Pettigrew because we were waiting for the next meeting to tell everyone." McGonagall sat down in the last seat and looked at Arthur, who was still standing. "Feel free to conjure another chair if you wish, Arthur," she said, then took a sip of tea.

Arthur smiled and pulled out his wand.

Professor McGonagall opened a door in the wall that hadn't been there before. She held her wand aloft and muttered something that no one else caught. The passageway lit up and revealed seemingly endless stairs.

"Follow me."

McGonagall started off down the stairs, the other three following her.

It took almost a quarter of an hour to reach the bottom. When they finally stepped off the stairs, the room they entered was flooded with light. In the very centre, enclosed by a magical warding cage, Pettigrew laid, staring at the ceiling. He didn't even twitch when the light flared.

"Pettigrew," Arthur called, and Wormtail's head rolled around to look at him, then up at the ceiling.

"If you tell me where Godric's Hollow is, we'll let you go."

McGonagall twitched. "You most certainly will not! He is a prisoner, and will be kept as such!"

Wormtail was looking between Arthur and McGonagall. "Why do you want to know?"

"Harry has gone missing. We think he's going to Godric's Hollow and we need to know where he is."

Wormtail looked back at the ceiling. "I don't believe you."

"That we'll let you go, or that Harry's missing?" Arthur conjured a chair and sat down, while Tonks and Kingsley spread out around the room.

"Potter could be missing," Wormtail muttered, "but I don't believe you'd let me go. Make the Unbreakable Vow and I'll tell you."

Arthur pushed his glasses up his nose. "I can't do that. If I make the Unbreakable Vow, saying I'd let you go, I'd have to let you go every time we meet. That wouldn't be very wise when we cross paths on the battlefield."

Wormtail chewed his lip. "Fine. Let me go and I'll tell you where Godric's Hollow is."

Arthur nodded to Tonks. Tonks Stunned McGonagall and Levitated the professor into the stairwell, out of harm's way. Kingsley collapsed the cage around Pettigrew.

"Tell me where Godric's Hollow is," Arthur said, staring at Wormtail.

Wormtail looked around the room at Kingsley and Tonks, then transformed into a rat, and ran for the stairs.

Arthur, Tonks and Kingsley smiled and watched Wormtail run for the only exit. There was a soft _thud_ as Wormtail ran into the anti-Animagus wards. The rat fell to the ground, stunned by the blow. Arthur pointed his wand at Pettigrew as the man was lying there, staring at the ceiling again.

"That must have hurt. Tell us where Godric's Hollow is, and we'll collapse those wards, too." Kingsley handed Arthur his wand and crouched beside Pettigrew.

Pettigrew whimpered something. Kingsley smiled.

"Good man."

Kingsley clapped Wormtail on the shoulder and stood up. He retrieved his wand from Arthur and cast _Ennervate_ at McGonagall. The Professor sat up and rubbed the back of her head where it had hit the wall.

"Did it work?"

"Apparently," Arthur said, then he looked at Kingsley. "What did he tell you?"

"South of Dublin, an hour's boat ride."

Arthur smiled at Wormtail, who whimpered, "You said you'd let me go!"

"We will. Eventually." Tonks pointed her wand at him.

Wormtail flew into the centre of the room, to be enclosed in a box of wards again. He simply sat and glared at the four of them as they climbed the stairs and the lights went out.

Up on the surface, back in McGonagall's cottage, the four sat around, drinking another round of tea.

"How much should we trust Wormtail?" Tonks asked, looking at Kingsley.

"He was too stunned to lie. I used Legimency to see into his mind. He was telling the truth." Kingsley took a sip of tea and put the cup down. "I think we should go."

Arthur nodded. "Are you alright, Minerva?"

McGonagall rubbed her head, but smiled at Arthur. "Just fine, Arthur."

Arthur stood and put his cup down. "Thank you for the tea and the consult, Minerva."

McGonagall smiled. "Come back later some time."

7: The Third Horcrux

Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny were reading the plaque set by a mound of overgrown rubble that was once the Potters' house when they heard something approaching them from behind. They instantly turned to face the threat, three of them reaching for their wands as the boys pushed Hermione and Ginny away from the approaching creature.

It looked like a three-foot-high dog, if you ignored the colouring – it was black with red patches on its belly, tail and down its spine. On closer inspection, the devices sticking up from the creature's back were not fur, but rather bony plates as black as the surrounding fur. On the creature's head were two stubby horns, glowing softly in the faint sunlight inside the crater.

"What do you think it is?" Ginny asked in a whisper, watching the dog-creature slowly approach, its ears forward and nose in the air.

"What ever it is, it can't be working with the Death Eaters," Harry said, and Ron looked at him.

"What makes you say that?"

"For one thing," Harry said, "it would have sent some sort of message to them telling them we're here."

"Maybe it can't see?" Hermione said. "I've never seen a dog with blue eyes before."

"Or maybe she's wondering why there are four humans on an island that has been abandoned for over a decade," the dog said, sitting in front of the quartet.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny yelped, shrieked or gasped, each taking a collective step back from the creature. Ginny recovered first to ask, "What are you?"

"I'm a Kelpie." The creature's tail flicked and a small whirlwind whirled between the leaves on the ground.

"But kelpies are water demons?" Hermione said, questioning both the one in front of them and her own learning.

"Are there two species of humans?" the Kelpie retorted. "Magic and no-magic?"

"That's not the same –" Hermione said, frowning.

The Kelpie cut her off. "Light- and dark-skins? Those of good intentions and those of bad?"

"Yes, but –"

"Let her talk, Hermione," Ginny said, resting a hand on her friend's shoulder. "You learn more from the creatures themselves than from the humans that document them."

Hermione huffed but stayed silent, listening to the Kelpie. The dog-like creature smiled at Ginny. "You are a wise human, redhead." She nodded to her, then looked at the others. "Like all creatures, Kelpies have both good and bad members. Humans remember the bad because they diet on them. The good, however, exist on fish and other creatures. We know that humans can kill us or tame us easily."

Harry frowned at the her. "Why are you here?"

The Kelpie stood up and stepped back on its rear paws. It became exactly the size and shape of a gnome. "I thought you would like to know the story of the Potters' downfall. However, if you prefer to ask the humans who used to live here, then good luck to you. They live on the next island along." The she went to run into the bushes, but Harry pounced on it.

"Wait! We want to hear your version!" Hermione cried, then gasped as a tawny centaur erupted from beneath Harry.

The centaur looked at Harry over her shoulder. "I could take offence that you jumped on me, but you're the only visitors I've had in years. I need an audience that won't laugh at me."

"Who laughs at you?" Harry asked, moving to climb off the centaur's back.

The centaur turned quickly so that Harry had no choice but to grip her flanks tightly with his knees. "Stay on. I'll take you and your friends to my favourite view point."

"What's your name?" Ron asked, helping his sister onto the centaur's back.

The centaur frowned. "Some call me Ghorianastapholianio, but I suppose you can call me Riana."

"I'm Ron. This is Harry, Hermione and my sister Ginny." Ron introduced them between helping Hermione on and climbing onto the centaur's back himself.

At last the three had gotten on behind Harry. Hermione had protested, all her senses saying that Riana was a dangerous creature to ride, but Ron finally teased her into getting on, and they flew across the fields, always on an upwards slope. They finally eclipsed the ridge at the top of the volcano and all four gasped at the view they beheld.

Below them, a fertile forest spread out for miles. Among the many, many trees, small wooden houses dotted the landscape below. Riana headed towards the village. She was laughing as the air flew through her hair. The four on her back held on for dear life, afraid of falling under the clattering hooves more than whatever awaited them in the forest village.

Riana pulled up in front of a building just inside the perimeter of the village. It was made of branches, rocks and small skeletons. Their skulls were displayed above the doorway, as though commemorating the killing of the creatures.

Riana shrunk back into her dog shape, then pushed the door open with her nose. She entered, and Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at each other. Ginny pushed between them and followed Riana, her wand drawn and alert.

Ginny pushed the door open a little further and muttered, " _Lumos!_ " Seeing the interior of the building, she waved the others inside. They gasped at what they saw.

There was an inch of dust over everything inside. There were upturned chairs and tables everywhere, broken glass, shattered porcelain; the textbook scene of a struggle, a long time ago.

"I knew I had been away for a long time, but I didn't think it had been this long," Riana muttered, and looked around at the humans. "This place used to be the home of a dear friend of mine, by the name of Remus Lupin. He doesn't seem to have been here in at least four years, which is strange. I haven't seen him in all those years."

The quartet looked at each other. Riana caught the look.

"Do you know Remus?" she asked, turning to look at them completely. "Is he all right? Does he still change shape, like we Kelpies?"

"He does," Harry said, looking around the shabby hut. "He never told us where he lived before he came to teach at Hogwarts."

"Well, this is the place. When Remus changed shape, we would go running around in the moonlight, terrifying the local wildlife." Riana smiled. "He didn't put the skulls on the door, of course. They were there before he arrived, and neither of us could remove them."

"Did he leave anything here, do you think?" Hermione asked.

Riana lowered her head and started sniffing in the dust, as though hunting for something. She yelped, her head in a cupboard.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

Riana looked at them, a spider crawling across her nose. She was glaring at it.

"That creature bit me!" she cried. Then she shook her head, the spider flying off it, and put her nose back to the floor, walking to the other side of the room.

The quartet could see where she had already walked, the dust having been disturbed, making her outline smudged, when she yelped again, her nose under a couch.

"Another spider?" Ron asked, looking out of the door.

"No. Something of Dark potential." Riana withdrew her nose from under the couch, the handle of a golden cup in her jaws. She dropped it as soon as she saw that Harry was staring at it, and backed away from it. The Kelpie transformed into a pixie and started rubbing its nose.

"Really stings," Riana said, examining her nose. She was cross-eyed, which made Ron laugh.

Harry, Hermione and Ginny were staring at the cup. They could almost feel the evil intent in the thing.

"Harry? Do you know what it is?" Hermione asked, glancing to him.

"Horcrux," Harry breathed.

Hermione gasped. Ron started choking on nothing. Ginny was staring between them.

"What is it?" she asked.

Harry explained without looking at her. "A Horcrux is a piece of a person's soul, trapped within an object. The diary from your first year was one. This, however, is far worse. The cup is Helga Hufflepuff's. The soul is Voldemort's, but the part that's trapped in this artefact is more powerful than the one in the diary was, more cunning, more learned, Add all that to a significant historic artefact and it becomes even more powerful."

Ginny gasped. "How do we remove the soul without damaging the cup?"

"I don't know. I think we have to destroy the cup." Harry looked at Hermione. "Do you know how to do that?"

" _Diffindo_ might work. Maybe _reducto_ as well." Hermione drew her wand.

She levitated the cup outside, where any backlash wouldn't destroy the building. Animals ferreting for food ran at the sight of the cup.

"Okay. Watch out, everyone." Hermione pulled back her sleeves and raised her wand at the cup. A Reduction Curse flew from her wand and rebounded off the cup. Hermione ducked and the Curse hit the tree behind her, narrowly missing Riana, who looked like a house elf.

"What did you do that for?" she yelped. "You almost killed me!"

"Sorry, Riana," Hermione said, "but I did tell everyone to duck."

Riana muttered something and stood behind Ginny, her head peaking around her legs. Hermione looked around them and then back at the cup.

"I think I know how to destroy the cup," Hermione said, "But I don't think I can cast the spell."

"What spell?" Ron asked.

Hermione looked at Ron with a small hint of apprehension in her eyes.

" _Avada Kedavra._ "

Harry frowned. _Would that spell do it? Would I be able to cast it?_ "Let me try."

Hermione frowned. "Harry?"

Ron placed a hand on her shoulder. "Let him try, Hermione. I don't like it any better than you do, but he can always try."

Hermione frowned again. "Okay, Harry. Let us get out of the way first. And you should take cover too, in case it bounces back at you like the Reductor Curse did."

Harry nodded and rolled up his sleeves. "Okay."

Hermione, Ron, Ginny and Riana ran inside the hut. Harry stood behind a tree, carefully aiming his wand at the cup. Hermione nodded at him and vanished inside. Harry took a deep breath and focussed on his hatred of Voldemort and his followers.

" _Avada Kedavra!_ " he hissed. A pale green light issued from his wand and he glared at the cup.

The words of Bellatrix from his fifth year, just after he'd lost Sirius, played in his mind.

" _Never used an Unforgivable Curse before, have you, boy? You need to_ mean _them, Potter!_ "

Harry's glare became so focussed that he was almost cross-eyed. Hermione glanced over the windowsill to see that Harry was preparing to use the curse again. She motioned for Ron, Ginny and Riana to duck again, and waited for something to happen.

" _Avada Kedavra!_ " Harry hissed again, imagining the cup as Voldemort, wanting to kill him, _needing_ to kill him.

The green light that came from his wand was much stronger than it had been the last time. The beam hit the cup and was absorbed. The cup hissed and sizzled, then melted. The energy trapped was sent out in many directions. One of the beams shot in through the door of the shack and hit the wall, narrowly missing Riana's tail. Another almost severed Harry's wand, but he snatched his hand back quickly enough to avoid it.

When the commotion had died, down, Hermione and Ron carefully looked around the doorframe. In the middle of the path was a small piece of melted gold, all that was left of the cup. The Dark presence was gone from the air, and the fading sunlight suddenly felt very warm.

"Is it gone?" Ron asked, stepping carefully out of the hut.

Hermione, Ginny and Riana followed him out of the hut. They could hear the creatures in the trees start to settle down after the loud burst of noise that celebrated the end of the Dark presence.

"It's gone," Hermione whispered, pointing at the puddle of melted gold. "Harry, are you all right?"

"You should see this," Riana called from behind a tree. Hermione and Ginny walked over to the Kelpie.

Riana looked like a wolf, sniffing carefully at a pile of what looked like clothes. "They weren't here the last time I visited Remus."

"They can't have been here too long, either, else they would be half-rotten." Hermione pointed her wand at the pile. They slowly floated up and together, looking for all the world like they were being worn by an invisible child. "Can you track a scent, Riana?"

"I can."

Riana gingerly touched her nose to the cloth and sniffed. She sneezed, then did it again. This time she put her nose to the ground and started to slowly walk towards the hut that Remus Lupin had once inhabited.

A black shape, as dark as the dead of the moon, separated from the woodwork and ran into the forest. Riana howled and took off after the spectre, her voice echoing around the close clearings between trees.

Hermione, Harry, Ron and Ginny took off after her, their wands out.

"Stupefy," Ron chanted, pointing at the black being's back. The spectre was caught by the spell and fell.

When the five of them caught up with the spectre, Riana put her nose to the ground.

"It has disappeared," she said, then sniffed at the ground again. "Wait –"

She yelped as the ground below them collapsed, sending them into a dark abyss beyond the sunlight, following the dark spectre and into what lay below the island of Godric's Hollow.

Lupin, Charlie, Kingsley, Tonks, Isabella and Arthur set foot on the shore of Godric's Hollow and looked around. Charlie swore when he saw the size of the volcano they had to climb. Only recently had Lupin realised where the children were going, and he had been able to lead the search party to the island without the aid of a map.

"Don't swear, Charles," Arthur said, then pulled out his wand. "We should have brought brooms. This would be so much easier."

"You did not bring brooms?" Isabelle asked, reaching into her pocket. "Eet ees a good zing zat I did, no?"

Arthur smiled at her. "You're a life saver, Isabelle," he said as she pulled a handful of shrunken brooms from her pocket.

"'I do want zem back,' she said, looking particularly at Tonks.

"I'm not that clumsy," Tonks said, and took a broom from Isabelle's hand.

"Tell zat to ze seats you knocked over at ze wedding," Isabelle muttered, and Tonks frowned at her.

"Ladies, please," Kingsley said, standing between them. "Can we just find the children without spilling too much of our blood?"

"Fine," Isabelle said, unshrinking her broom and mounting. She kicked off and hovered a hundred feet in the air, waiting for the others to catch up.

"Let's go," Arthur said, mounting his own broom.

8: The Trouble With Falling

Harry was falling face first, Riana in the shape of a house elf holding tightly onto him with one hand, the other holding something that seemed to catch on the walls of the slide a few times, but never latched. Hermione and Ron were falling sidewards beside him, and Harry could hear their robes flapping in the rushing air as they fell. Only Ginny he could not hear, and he hoped that she was all right, that they were going to be all right…

The fall ended suddenly as Harry landed on a large pile of what looked like gold and gems, even a few glinting shards of a set of armour. The cavern they seemed to be in echoed with the sounds of the chinking metal as the others landed beside him, Hermione half on top of him.

"What is this?" Riana asked, sitting up on Harry's back. Harry heard coins tinkling in the relative darkness, and suddenly heard something large and heavy hit the pile of what appeared to be treasure on the ground.

"Ah…" Hermione said, glancing over to the far wall, "What was that?"

"I don't know, but I would love it if you all got off me," Harry said, and he felt the weight of Riana shift as her shape did. A pygmy puff sat on his head as Hermione and Ron rolled off him.

A groan of pain came from the place where Ron had rolled. The pygmy puff jumped off Harry's head and the coins scattered.

"Ron? Are you okay?"

"I think I rolled onto a sword or something," he replied, and Harry heard a sword being drawn from its sheath.

Over the other side of the chamber, something moved, sending coins clattering across the floor. Harry, Hermione and Ron stood absolutely still.

"Harry?" Ginny called, lighting her wand. "Hermione? Ron?"

"Over here, Ginny," Hermione called as Harry stood up. Something slithered near his foot and he gave an involuntary yelp.

"That had better have been you, Riana."

"I'm on your shoulder, Harry," the pygmy puff said, then jumped down into the treasure. A second later, the horned hound stood before them. She put her nose to the coins as Ginny joined them.

"Where did you go?" Hermione asked Ginny, helping Ron remove the dirt from the back of his robes.

"I fell after you, but part of the ground reached out and caught me, throwing me off into a different direction." Ginny raised her wand and looked around the room. "I landed over there. Something came down after me, though."

"What kind of something?" Harry asked, but Ginny was cut off by Riana, who leapt into the treasure, howling and barking. They all ran after her, and watched as she scattered crystals, gems, swords, armour and all sorts of valuables. Riana leapt upon something and the something gave a hiss before she drove the spikes on her head into its body. She shook it off and sniffed at it.

"Does this look familiar, Harry?" Riana asked, sniffing at the body of a large python. "It's making my nose twitch, like the cup did."

"Nagini," Harry breathed, looking at the snake.

The creature's body suddenly vaporised, as though it was sucked up in a vacuum. Only the bones were left on the treasure.

"What just happened?" Ginny asked, looking between the Kelpie and the skeleton. Riana was dragging her horns through the gems, trying to clean the black tar-like substance off them.

"I think Riana just destroyed another Horcrux for us." Harry looked at the Kelpie as she laughed.

"The snake was once like the cup, true," Riana said, lifting her head up as Hermione stepped closer to help her remove the residue, "but not for at least… two years."

"Makes sense. Voldemort needed a piece of his soul to come back at the end of the Triwizard Tournament." Harry knelt beside the snake and pushed at it with a sword he picked up from the pile of treasure.

Something slipped in the distance. Coins and gems tinkered as swearwords were heard echoing around the cave.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Riana fell silent. So did the things on the other side of the small cave.

Before anyone could stop her, Riana shifted into a small dragon and fluttered off into the darkness. A few seconds later, she was screaming back towards them, yelling.

"Run! They're -"

Her screams were cut off when a jet of red light hit her, bringing her crashing into the treasure. The quartet ran to help their new friend, but seven black-robed figures appeared out of the gloom. They reached Riana before Harry and his friends did, and they looked up at him.

"Potter!" the front-most one hissed. "Get them!"

Half of the Death Eaters turned on Harry and his friends and immediately fired curses. Harry and Ginny dodged their Stunning Spells, but Ron got caught in the arm while trying to dodge, and the curse that hit Hermione just nicked her neck.

Harry and Ginny just managed to dodge their curses, but the remaining Death Eaters, who were just a little off in their aiming, managed to hit Harry with a Conjunctivitis Curse and he stumbled through the treasure before a Stunning Spell knocked him off his feet. Ginny was hit by a Cutting Curse that opened a deep slice across her wrist and she collapsed, her face going white.

"Stem the flow or the Dark Lord will not forgive us for allowing one of the blood traitors to die before he can have his fun."

"He's going to kill us anyway. We let the snake be killed."

Nonetheless, one of the Death Eaters stopped the blood flow with a flick of his wand. "What about the dragon?"

"Take it with us. The Dark Lord can decide what to do with it."

The five Stunned prisoners were levitated and taken out of the cave, along with the skeleton of the snake.

9: Captured... Again

Arthur and the rest of the rescue team stood in the village. They were all searching for the quartet that had evaded them well so far.

"Look at zis!" Isabella called, crouching down to look at the puddle of gold in the middle of the street.

"What is it?" Lupin asked, crouching down beside her.

Tonks pointed her wand and sent a beam of blue light at the puddle. A shadow of Helga Hufflepuff's cup erupted out of the gold, branded with the Dark Mark.

"A Horcrux," Lupin breathed. He was the only one within the group that knew of the existence of such things.

"A what?" Arthur asked, echoed by everyone else.

"A Dark object of the worst kind." Lupin nodded to Tonks, who cancelled the spell. "It must have been Harry's work."

"At least we know those Centaur hoof prints are something we should follow," Charlie said, standing a little to the left. "There are more dog paw prints over here, and no hoof prints."

"Harry and the others?"

"There are plenty of their footprints, and they all lead off into the forest."

Mr Weasley sighed and stood up, mopping his brow. "Well, we can't do anymore tonight. Let's just settle down in these houses and set out in the morning."

The other members of the rescue team nodded their assent. Lupin wandered over to the house he had once lived in, Tonks on his heels.

"Okay, Remus," she said, shutting the door behind them. "You know something and I want to know what it is."

Lupin shook his head. Tonks folded her arms over her chest. "How did you know where this village was? You took one look at the direction of the hoof prints and whispered 'Home'."

Lupin hung his head. "I lived here for twelve years, Tonks. Between the deaths of Lily and James, and when Dumbledore hired me to teach at Hogwarts."

"So the reason you stayed away from the graves...?"

"James and Lily."

Tonks sighed and hugged Remus.

Harry awoke to find that he and the others were tied up in a dark room. He could dimly see that Riana was tied up between two posts across the room, chains holding her arms, wings and neck in place. She was lying, watching the others.

Harry, Ron and Hermione were suspended between two poles, their arms and hands tied to chains that kept their limbs spread. Try as Harry might, he couldn't move his arms or hands past the place where they were suspended.

When Riana saw Harry was awake, her head lifted and she cawed.

"Riana? Can't you get out of there?"

The dragon winked, nodded and cawed again.

"C'mon, Riana, get us out of here!" Hermione called, and both Harry and Riana looked at her. She was bearing cuts, bruises and what looked like the shadow of a Dark Mark on her forehead.

Riana stood, shook her body violently and became a pygmy puff. She bounded out of the chains and over to Harry, where she stopped, looking over at Hermione. She changed into her horned hound shape and trotted over to Hermione, resting her front feet on the girl's chest.

"What happened, Hermione?" Harry asked as Riana sniffed at her forehead.

"The Death Eaters! They took me! Voldemort and his men! They tied me back up and took -"

Hermione was cut off by the door slamming open. Riana hid behind Harry and watched the door from her vantage point.

Ginny was hauled in between two Death Eaters and tied back up. The pair moved over to Harry before they noticed that Riana wasn't where she was before.

"The dragon has escaped!" one of them yelled, and looked wildly around. All they saw was a woman, roughly twenty years old, attempting to hide behind Harry.

"A rescue attempt?" one of the Death Eaters sneered.

Riana stepped out from behind Harry. She was snarling silently, her lips pulled back off her teeth. They were sharper than they used to be, her fingers clawed. Harry was staring at her, as was Hermione and Ron, who had just woken up.

"Riana...?" Ron whispered, and Riana glanced at him.

The Death Eaters took the chance to throw a Stunning Spell at Riana. She threw up her hands to defend herself, but both spells hit her and she crumbled to the ground. Ginny gasped, as did Hermione. Ron simply glared at the Death Eaters while Harry raged at them.

"You touch her and I swear, I'll see your heads rolling across the floor before I'm gone!" Harry cried, struggling fruitlessly against his bonds.

The Death Eaters laughed as one tied Ginny up and the other set about doing the same to the unconscious Riana. They placed Sticking Charms on her wrists and ankles, ensuring that the chains stayed this time. They took Ron down from his perch and left the room, laughing.

"Harry?" Ginny called quietly.

"Yeah?"

"We're in trouble, aren't we?"

10: Dragon the Line

Riana, Ginny, Hermione and Harry hung in the cathedral-like, earthen room below the village, waiting for Ron to be returned. Riana had just recently woken up. She had tried to shift shapes, but the chains were stuck to her wrists, and they ended up stretching her limbs to the point where she had to return to her human shape or risk tearing herself apart. However, she hadn't given up on getting free just yet.

The door opened and Riana turned to face the entering Death Eaters, snarling. They sneered at her and placed Ron below his chains. The chains reached down and dragged him up, to stretch him apart like the others. The Death Eaters moved to grab Harry, but Riana attracted their attention.

Riana was roaring and gnashing her teeth, a lion's mane erupting from her head. Her teeth were growing longer, her fingers becoming eagle claws. But the thing that scared the Death Eaters the most was the fact that she was flapping rather large wings and starting to send terrible gusts of wind at the Death Eaters. They were almost thrown from their feet.

"Leave him alone!" she screamed, "Leave them all alone! You have no right to take a Kelpie's friends, you despicable pieces of rotten meat! Touch them and I will tear you limb from limb with my claws!"

The Death Eaters had no idea what was going on. They scrambled from the room and slammed the door behind them.

"Riana?" Ron asked uncertainly, looking at the Kelpie with fear. "Are you alright?"

Riana returned to her human form and sagged in the chains.

"Riana? Riana!" Harry and Hermione called. Ron tried to reach the sagging Kelpie but couldn't move at all.

Riana groaned and lifted her head. Her eyes were slightly unfocussed when she sniffed the air.

Ron looked through the gloom at her. "Riana? Are you alright?" he repeated.

"He comes," both Harry and Riana said at the same time.

Hermione looked scared. "Wha-"

The door slammed open and three Death Eaters entered, followed by someone that made Harry grit his teeth while he glared at the figure.

"Voldemort," the prisoners spat.

The figure stopped and dropped its hood. The pain was almost as unbearable as every other time Harry had met Voldemort. Except, this time he had people around him.

Though they weren't of much help at the moment.

"I heard that we caught a kelpie," Voldemort hissed. "It will make an excellent addition to my army."

"I will never fight my friends for you, Tom Riddle." Riana looked Voldemort in the eye, and Voldemort glared at her.

"You will address me as the Dark Lord." Voldemort stepped closer to Riana and she snarled at him. She seemed larger.

Harry blinked and looked back at the Kelpie with wide eyes. Riana _was_ getting larger. Scales were erupting all along her body, and dragon wings were growing from her back. Her face was changing into that of a Hungarian Horntail!

The manacles around her arms and legs were getting closer and closer to breaking as her limbs swelled. The metal finally shattered as a fully-grown, fifty-foot tall Hungarian Horntail stood staring down at the Dark Lord.

Voldemort took a step back, then drew his wand and pointed it at Riana. "A fascinating creature you have brought me, Severus."

The prisoners hissed.

One of the figures bowed to the Dark Lord. "Would you mind, Master, if I were to aid you in taming this dragon?"

"Even I shall need help with this task, my faithful servant," Voldemort hissed, and six other wands lifted to point at Riana's chest.

" _Stupefy!_ " seven voices hissed. The seven bolts of red light hit Riana in the chest.

"Oh, I really hope that Arthur and Isabella have found the children." Mrs. Weasley sighed and went back to her knitting.

"Don't worry, mum. Dad'll bring the four of them home in the morning. They have to have found them by now. They've been gone two weeks, and even Fred and George couldn't hide from dad for more than that." Bill relaxed back into the comfortable lounge. He looked relaxed, but he and Fleur, who was lying on his lap, brimmed with tension.

"I know, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, pausing in her knitting to pat her son's knee. "But I hope he does find them before You-Know-Who does."

The room went quiet, all sounds bar the snapping of the fire and the clicking of the knitting needles erased.

The lights dissipated as they reached the dragon's chest, and Riana reached down to grab one of the darkly-dressed Death Eaters.

"I made a promise," she hissed, and before anyone else could move, she ripped the Death Eater apart.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Ron muttered, looking slightly green. Behind him, Hermione and Ginny were staring at the dragon.

"Seven Stunning Spells! She should be out cold!" Hermione whispered.

The dragon roared and reached for Voldemort. The Dark Lord, however, had vanished among the group of Death Eaters.

"Riana! Grab Snape!" Harry yelled as the dragon swept all the Death Eaters off their feet with her tail.

She reached over and pulled the posts out of the ground, and Harry landed on his hands and knees. Riana reached into the group of wizards trying to get to their feet and picked up one. His hood fell back and his mask fell off.

"Good work, Riana!" Harry yelled, trying to stand up. The posts and chains were too heavy, and he kept ending up on his knees.

Riana roared and reached into the crowd by her feet, pulling a white-haired figure out. The mask covering his face fell off to reveal Lucius Malfoy.

"Keep him!" Hermione yelled up at Riana, who was about to drop Lucius back into the crowd. Instead, she transferred Lucius to the same clawed hand holding Snape, giving them a little shake.

There was a clattering of wood on stone as four wands fell out of Lucius Malfoy's pocket. Harry crawled over and picked them up, then hissed the strongest Unlocking Spell he could think of, pointing his wand at the chain on his left wrist. It fell off, and Harry rubbed the red flesh. Three more spells removed the chains from his wrist and ankles, and he ran over to Hermione. He handed her wand over and she helped him remove the chains binding herself and their friends.

"They're escaping!" Macnair hissed, pointing his wand at them.

Riana took action. She sent a jet of fire at the ex-executioner that burnt him to a crisp. The Death Eaters broke ranks and ran for the door, the last one slamming it shut behind them. Riana snarled at the Death Eaters still in her hand and snapped the wands they hold with a single flick of her finger. She dropped them and they hit the stone floor with a dull thud and at least one snap.

"You will pay for this, creature," Lucius Malfoy hissed, his face a pasty white. Riana leaned down close to his face. She snorted down at him and shifted to her horned-hound self.

"I wouldn't plan on paying me back if I were you," she sneered down at him. Lucius scrambled back, dragging his right leg. "You will have a larger account with me by the time the day is out."

Lucius stared open-mouthed at Riana as the Kelpie turned to Snape, who was clutching his right wrist.

"And you, you are the one that helped to cause the fall of the Potters. Both I and their son will help to destroy you for that." Riana snapped her jaws an inch from the man's nose. "However, you have a place to take up at Hogwarts School. You will do as your _Master_ " – she spat the word like it was poison, sending sparks into Snape's hair – "tells you, and you will spy once more. Report to Molly Weasley. She is the honorary Head of the Order now." Riana placed Snape on the floor with a contemptuous look.

"Riana?" Hermione asked faintly.

Riana turned to her and changed into an otter. "Heal him, Hermione, and give him back his wand. He has a role in the coming war, and he is a crucial part of our victory."

"How do you know that?" Hermione asked.

"Centaurs."

"Oh."

"What do you plan on doing to Lucius?" Snape demanded, snatching the wand from Hermione and healing his own wrist.

Hermione glared at Snape, as did everyone but Riana and Lucius. The otter Riana turned to face Lucius, and changed into an exact copy of Lucius Malfoy, down to the very sneer on his face. The real Malfoy stared up at himself in horror.

"Watch the newspaper and you will find out. Until then, you have a role to play."

Snape Disapparated with a _pop._

11: Hogwarts School of the Dark Arts

The sky split as lightning flashed. Voldemort stood above the castle and gazed down at the village of Hogsmeade. He was still fuming over his defeat at the hands – claws – of the Kelpie and the Brat. He had lost a few good soldiers to the meddling of the light, and now had to make do with the few semi-intelligent followers he had left.

"Wormtail," he breathed, "go."

A rat scurried down the hill and towards the village. It was lost amongst the tall grasses as rain fell from the sky. Wands were raised and an area of weatherproof sky was opened above the large group.

"Go," the Dark Lord breathed again, "Asterius."

A darkly-cloaked figure limped down the hill, leaning heavily on a cane. It made its way into the village and was lost in the darkness.

A few minutes later, Voldemort saw lights flicker on and off in the village. Sparks the colour of emeralds lit up its streets. The cries were quickly stifled.

"Go."

The group of sixty or so dark figures made their way down the hill and skulked through the town. One group, led by Rodolphus Lestrange, split off as the larger group headed through the town and went into the Hog's Head. Four more groups, headed by Bellatrix, the brother and sister Carrows and Snape, headed off out of the village to where the Shrieking Shack, Hogsmeade Station, the far side of Hogwarts Lake and the many surrounding mountains stood.

Voldemort's group headed into Honeydukes, where the owners had been dispatched. They made their way down to the cellar, where Asterius Parkinson stood.

"My Lord," he simpered, "I have found the door for you."

"Good, Parkinson. I see that Greyback's bite has finally gotten through that thick skull of yours where all of my other methods have not." Voldemort sniffed the air. "Someone approaches..."

All eyes bar Voldemort's turned to the door, and a man, seemingly from the bar down the street, stumbled into their midst. The Death Eaters drew their wands, but did nothing as Voldemort hissed.

"Bring him."

The man was pulled forwards, made to kneel at Voldemort's feet.

"Tom Riddle."

Voldemort's eyes glinted while the Death Eaters kept their eyes on the man. Some of whom, like Asterius and his wife Georgala, were glaring at the old man. They were the schoolyard friends of Voldemort, one of the few who knew his birth-name.

"Destroy him. He is of Dumbledore's ilk."

"Now, wa—"

The word was cut off as a flash of green light lit up the cellar briefly. Voldemort turned back to the cellar floor.

"Where is it, Asterius?"

A section of the floor lifted and landed carefully on the other side, barely a thump disturbing dust and air. Voldemort made his way down the twisted stairs and into the dark tunnel.

Voldemort stood at the bottom of the ramp, looking up into the darkness.

"Avery."

The man scuttled forward and set off up the ramp, vanishing into the darkness. A few seconds later, a muttered word sent light into the eyes of the Death Eaters. They hissed, but Voldemort growled an order and silence filled the gloom.

"Go."

Dark robes rustled as the figures made their ways around him. Voldemort smiled.

"Hogwarts, you will be mine."

He made his way up the ramp. His Death Eaters were nowhere in sight.

"Excellent."

The sound of battle made its way around the corridor ahead. Voldemort smiled and made his way towards it.

Bellatrix and her group had gone into the Hog's Head and hidden under the bar, where they had tapped one of the beer taps and said 'Discardium'. The opening allowed Bellatrix's group to enter the large passage to Hogwarts School.

They were now rounding up the people left in the castle after the school year had finished and Dumbledore had been... permanently removed. Three of the teachers, the Ancient Runes teacher, the Astronomy witch and the Charms professor, were lying on the floor. Blood was spilled from at least one, covering the floor between them and making it impossible to tell which one.

Voldemort laughed as a great, hulking figure stumbled around the corner, into the firefight. A dozen or so figures in black robes followed him around the corner.

"Even your giant blood will not save you!" Rodolphus cackled, and Voldemort smiled. The group that had gone to the Shrieking Shack, had appeared under the willow, where Wormtail was hiding, keeping the tree still.

A dozen green flashes of light dazed almost all of the teachers, and they were cut down. The large figure of Hagrid crashed to the floor, dead beyond all doubt.

"Very good," Voldemort said as he surveyed the damage. Eight of the fifteen teachers were on the floor, either dead or unconscious. "You shall wait here for the others, I think."

The Death Eaters bowed their heads, standing in a rough circle around the bodies. "Aye, my Lord," they all said, and Voldemort smiled coldly.

"Come, come, that is no way to address the new Headmaster of Hogwarts School."

Even behind the masks, Voldemort could see some of the Death Eaters smiling.

"Actually, spread out in pairs and search the school, top to bottom, for anyone else. If you find another teacher, send them to the Headmaster's office." Voldemort didn't wait for the muttered assurances that they would do so. He turned with a swish of his cloak and headed for the office.

He stood in front of the stone gargoyle and looked at it.

"I have business with the head of the school."

The gargoyle didn't move.

"If you don't move, I will destroy you."

It still didn't move.

"Fine."

Voldemort drew his wand and made a slashing motion. The gargoyle disintegrated, but the wall stayed stubbornly shut. Voldemort made another swishing motion, and the wall disappeared, revealing the stairs to the Headmaster's office.

Voldemort smiled and started climbing.

Voldemort smiled as he looked at Asterius Parkinson and Alecto Carrow standing in front of him. He was reclining behind the desk in the large chair that he had so admired years before. The silver instruments that had been in the room had been thrown out the window just a few minutes earlier.

Voldemort had found the cracked ring and the remains of his diary amongst the glittering objects,. He had cursed, spit, and thrown Dumbledore's portrait into the room behind the one he was sitting at, and joined it with all the others hanging on the wall. The only one that hung within the Headmaster's office now was that of Phineas Nigellius, who was snoozing in his frame.

"Seal off all the exits but the one under the willow."

"Yes, My lord." Alecto bowed.

"Yes, my Lord."

They left, leaving Voldemort alone in the room. He looked at the portrait sitting above the doorway.

"Phineas."

The portrait awoke with a very unconvincing snort.

"Go find Bellatrix for me. She is in the castle somewhere."

Phineas nodded and left the painting. He had no objection to obeying another Slytherin Headmaster, let alone the last descendant of the Founder. He remembered Tom Riddle from school and after, and all of the things he had achieved.

September the first found hundreds of children on the Hogwarts Express, unaware of the changes to the running of the castle. Voldemort had closed up the doors as if it were only shut for the holidays. None of the Death Eaters were permitted onto the grounds until after nightfall, and only if they stuck to the shadows. The tunnels to Hogsmeade and the surrounding lands had been collapsed, just in case someone outside knew of them and tried to use the Death Eaters' plan against them. Only one was left undamaged and it was guarded by seven Death Eaters at each end.

Voldemort waited until every student was sitting in their seats in the Great Hall before he made his way into it from the room off the hall. As he entered, his hood thrown around his shoulders, cries of surprise, fear and anger went up around the hall.

"Welcome to Hogwarts!" Voldemort cried. "The new school for the Dark Arts!"

Even louder cries of outrage flew around the Great Hall. Members of the former DA stood up and raised their wands at Voldemort. Death Eaters dropped their Disillusionment Charms. All of Voldemort's servants were gathered in the Great Hall bar those on tunnel duty. They were pointing their wands at the students. The DA turned to face the Death Eaters and kept their wands steady.

Voldemort started to laugh. "Do you children really think that you can defeat me? Without your saviour?"

Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, Luna Lovegood and Michael Corner sent silent curses at Voldemort, one barely reaching Voldemort before another hit. The students cheered. Their cheers failed as their friends fell to the Death Eaters' spells.

When the flashes of light cleared, Michael, Luna and Dean were on the ground, unmoving. Neville was swaying on the spot, but stood, glaring at Voldemort. Voldemort himself was standing as calmly as he had been a few seconds before. The students fell quiet and sat down, glancing at their still and silent friends every now and then.

"Now that we have had a display," Voldemort said calmly, holstering his wand, "I must tell you that the Muggle-borns within this school have, as you have surely been able to tell, been blocked from entering Hogwarts. The filth will no longer be allowed or able to enter this sacred ground of my forefather -"

"Tom Riddle, you are nothing but a Half-blooded orphan abandoned by your father and mother in the Muggle world!" Neville stepped towards the wizard. "I hope Harry gets you!"

"Sit down, you foolish blood-traitor! Sit down!" Voldemort hissed.

Neville stood, red-faced, still glaring at Voldemort. Voldemort stared at him, his slit—nostrils flaring.

"Fine." Voldemort turned to look along his ranks of Death Eaters. "Bellatrix, why don't you demonstrate what happens to rule breakers in my school."

Bellatrix grinned, pulling out her wand. She pointed it at Neville, who saw what was coming a split second before the spell hit him. He fell to the floor, screaming in pain. After a few seconds, Bellatrix let the spell dissipate, and a few concerned students made their ways to Neville's side, only to be blocked by a Shield Spell from Voldemort.

"Let the hero compose himself," Voldemort said, looking down on the scared, confused and angry faces below him with a wide grin. "As the _old, dead_ Headmaster used to say: Tuck in."

The food appeared on the table, but barely any was eaten. The students were too busy watching Neville helplessly as he recovered on the floor, shooting Voldemort mutinous glares every now and then.

12: Mayhem at the Ministry

Lucius Malfoy was not a cruel-hearted man, contrary to popular opinion. Sure, he had joined the Death Eaters, but that was only to preserve his family! He might have paid off a few politicians in his time in order to avoid Azkaban, but what self-respecting wizard wouldn't fight tooth and nail to avoid the place?

The wizard strode through the halls of the Ministry of Magic, his black cape fluttering behind him. It was rather busy for the middle of October, full of witches and wizards rushing to and fro down the hallway and through the Atrium, glancing at him and doing double takes as they recognized him, usually dropping what they were holding in a scramble for their wands. They were pushed along by those behind them and often lost sight of their intended targets.

Despite it being almost impossible to navigate the crowded room without touching anyone, as soon as his blonde hair was seen and he was recognized, Ministry wizards grabbed their wands and pointed them at him. They did not fire; they could tell that something was different from the last time he was seen in the Ministry building, and were curious enough to let him stride undeterred to the new Fountain in the middle of the floor.

"Peter Pettigrew is alive. He has been freed from his captivity," whispered hundreds of voices around the Ministry. "Minerva McGonagall was holding him in her basement, and Death Eaters found her."

Lucius Malfoy strode through the Ministry. He snatched a battered copy of the _Daily Prophet_ out of the hands of a witch using it as a fan and snapped it open, then walked unchallenged through the Ministry as he read the report on Wormtail's escape from the confines of McGonagall's house.

The report stated that McGonagall had been keeping Pettigrew in a downstairs room, specially spelled to keep him in. She had reported the breakout to Kingsley Shacklebolt, who had alerted the Aurors. They had arrived at the cottage to catch sight of Pettigrew as he accosted McGonagall. Members of the Order of the Phoenix were now pushing for the posthumous pardon of Sirius Black, seeing that two squads of Aurors had identified Pettigrew as being quite alive when he Disapparated away from them.

The foolish Auror Dawlish stepped out of the elevator and held his wand at shoulder height. "Lucius Malfoy, you are under arrest for -"

Dawlish was effectively silenced when Lucius closed his paper and raised his right hand, gesturing for quiet.

Except the limb did not end in a hand any more.

A tentacle was sprouting from his right wrist. People scrambled back from Lucius as he continued to transform into something worse than his Death Eater self, made of tentacles, teeth and claws.

"What in the -"

Scrimgeour had arrived and was watching Lucius with a shocked expression on his face, as were all of the wizards in the Atrium.

"Lucius Malfoy? What's going on?" Scrimgeour was staring at the hand. It seemed he was attempting to tell if this was a trick or not while his wand was still trained on Lucius.

Malfoy raised his still-human chin and smiled coldly at him. "The days of this incompetent Ministry are over, Scrimgeour! The time is coming when the New World Order will overcome the ashes of the old system and prevail! This will leave every member of the magical world in their rightful places - Pure-blood, Half-blood and Mudblood alike!"

There was a great flare of light. Every wizard and witch in the Atrium scrambled for a fireplace before Lucius did something incredibly drastic in order to become a martyr for his cause, like many Death Eaters before him.

After each and every member of the Ministry had run for cover, through Floo and Apparation points, some to the official and visitor entrances to the Ministry, the Charm set in place on Lucius Malfoy activated, making the sound of a great explosion. Lucius Malfoy's form shifted to a horned black and red hound that howled in joy for a few minutes, then to a large bird that flew out of the large, open window in the ceiling.

The bird headed west. Landing on an island to the west of Ireland, it fluttered into a cave and vanished into the bowels of the Earth.

13: Running

Arthur and Charlie walked into the clearing above the treasure pit. They were looking through the bushes for any sign of the teens when Arthur jumped as the bush he was looking through hissed, and a cat shot through his legs and up a tree. Charlie laughed.

"What was that?" Lupin asked, looking after the cat.

Tonks screwed up her nose. She hated cats. "Looked like that blasted cat Arabella used to have. Tickles? Trickles?"

"Tibbles."

"That's the one. Nasty, cunning creatures."

"What's it doing 'ere?" Isabella asked. "Isn't zis island protected?"

"Minerva told me before she died that she sent Tibbles after Harry before he figured it was her." Arthur shrugged. "That can only mean the kids are around here somewhere."

"If the cat hasn't gone AWOL," Tonks muttered. Lupin chuckled.

A twig snapped in the bush and the adults turned to face it. There appeared a shadowy shape, cautiously approaching them. It was rather large, though only a foot taller than Isabella, who was just over 6"3. It had four arms, two heads and looked like the shadow of a dog-like horse.

Lupin smiled and approached the spectre. The shadow seemed to relax slightly and mirrored his movements.

"Good to seeee you again, old frieeend," the spectre sad in a deep voice. "You have been gone just over four years, haven't you?"

"Indeed I have, Flikwark." Lupin turned to the rest of the group. Before he could introduce his creature-friend to the others, however, Isabella let out a hiss and the creature stiffened, raising its dog-like nose to the wind.

"A part-Veeeela," Flikwark hissed, glowing red points of light appearing where its stomach would be. "I haven't had the taste of a Veeeela in yeeears."

Flikwark started to step towards Isabella. The woman stepped back, recognising it for what it was.

"Demiguise," she muttered, looking ready for flight.

"That's right, Veeeela," Flikwark said, licking its shadowy lips with a green tongue. Both Lupin and Tonks stepped between the two magical creatures, attempting to stave off the fight.

"We came to ask you if you've seen four children!" Lupin said loudly, trying to distract the Demiguise.

"Aye, I have," Flikwark said, continuing to step towards the part-Veela. "Accompanieeed by that blasteeed Keeelpieee, theeey weeereee. Oneee of theeem hit meee with a speeell, like you did, old frieeend."

"Kelpie? You mean Thayisus?"

"No, his daughteeer."

"Where did they go?" Lupin asked, stepping into the middle of the clearing. The Demiguise stopped.

"Down," he said a second before the earth opened up, and all but the spectre fell into the dark abyss below.

"What's that noise?" Ron asked as the walls of the tunnel they were travelling in started to shake.

"I don't know," Harry said as a large chunk of rock fell from the roof and hit him on the head. He collapsed and Hermione stifled a shriek as the rumbling ended. She and Ginny ran to Harry's side as Ron turned to face the other end of the tunnel.

"Ron? What's wrong?" Hermione asked, pointing her wand at Harry. " _Ennervate_."

Harry stirred and grabbed the top of his head, scrunching his eyes up in pain. Hermione pointed her wand at his head and the pain eased. Harry stood as Ron's face fell.

From the end of the tunnel, Harry heard a familiar face call, "I've found a way out!"

"Mr. Weasley," Harry breathed, a second before Hermione grabbed him around the shoulders, one hand holding the pygmy puff that was Riana.

Harry, Hermione and Riana were squeezed beyond their limits. Just as they were about to pass out from lack of air, oxygen flooded their lungs and the light of a setting sun made them squint.

Ron and Ginny appeared a few meters away, both looking slightly worse for wear.

"Lucky no one splinched themselves," Hermione said, looking about them, "though why we both Apparated to Hogwarts, I don't know."

Sure enough, in the distance behind Ginny and Ron stood the ancient and hallowed castle.

"How did dad and the others find us?" Ginny asked the air. "How did he know where Godric's Hollow is, let alone where on the island we were?"

"We'll ask him when this is all over," Harry said, setting off down the steep hill towards Hogwarts. "C'mon. Let's get the last two Horcruxes before we have to face Voldemort."

"Wait," Charlie called, trotting over to the wall. "I think this was a stronghold for the Death Eaters at one point not long past."

"What makes you say zat?" Isabella asked, coming to stand beside Charlie.

"Wouldn't be the huge letters that declare _'Pure-bloods rule, Mudbloods lick their shoes'_ , would it?" Lupin asked, shaking his head as he beheld the sight across the wall. There was even a crude, stick-figure drawing to complete the sight.

Two muffled cracks made every one stop moving and look towards the tunnel that Mr. Weasley had found.

"Who do you think that was?" Charlie asked, drawing his wand and lighting the tip.

Lupin drew his wand too and pointed it down the tunnel. A shield of red light spread its way down the tunnel.

"What was that, Remus?" Shacklebolt asked, looking at the werewolf. "I've never seen that spell before."

"A Stunning Shield. Believe it or not, Hermione showed me her discovery a few hours before the kids ran away."

" _Hermione_ created a spell? She's only seventeen!" Charlie was shocked, as were Isabella and Kingsley. Mr. Weasley and Lupin smiled. Tonks set off down the tunnel to see if there was anyone down the way.

"She's eighteen," Remus said, following his girlfriend, "and a lot smarter than most in the Ministry, I would think."

14: Molly's Wrath

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny stood in front of the doors of Hogwarts. They removed Harry's Invisibility Cloak: as it was the middle of the day, they thought there was no reason to sneak into the school, unknowing of the danger they were placing themselves in.

Harry raised a hand to knock when one door opened and Severus Snape stuck his head out.

"What are you doing here, you fools!" he hissed, grabbing Harry and Ron roughly by the collar and dragging them inside. Hermione and Ginny followed. "Not only will you get yourselves killed, you'll get your friends killed as well! Not to mention me!"

"Didn't know you cared, Snivellus," Harry hissed, his eyes narrowed. Despite Riana's foreknowledge of the war and Snape's role to come in it, he still heavily mistrusted the man.

"Follow me quickly, Potter," Snape said, then added as an afterthought, "Don't call me that!"

The quartet obediently followed him to his office. Once inside, Snape made a Floo call. Ron was debating with himself whether to kick the reinstated Defence professor, but decided against it.

"Molly?" a voice called from The Burrow's fireplace. Green flames were crackling as Molly made her way into the living room from the kitchen.

"Severus?" Molly asked, wiping her hands on her floury apron. "What are you doing talking to me? The new _Headmaster_ " – she spat it like poison – "could kill you!"

"I thought you would like to know that your youngest children, Mr. Potter and Miss Granger have turned up on my doorstep."

Mrs. Weasley stared at the man. "After they have been so careful, evading Arthur and the others for the last four months, they show up at Hogwarts?"

"Apparently so, Molly."

Molly stood up, resolute. "Hide them from the Headmaster and don't let them go anywhere. I'm on my way over."

"See you soon, Molly." Snape's head vanished from the fireplace and Molly strode into the kitchen.

With all of the Dark wizards at Hogwarts, Molly knew that her children and their friends would not be going anywhere. She would put the finishing touches on dinner, place Warming Charms on them and leave them for the others to find, along with a note. Then she would go and catch the children who had evaded full members of the Order and give them what for!

Snape's head withdrew from the Floo, and he turned to face the quartet. A creature like a three-foot-high black dog with red patches on its belly and tail stood behind the children. Blades sprouted down the creature's back, and it snarled, showing incredibly long, sharp teeth.

"What is that?" Snape asked, turning paler than usual and taking a step back, raising his wand.

Harry looked over his shoulder at the Kelpie and shrugged with a bored expression on his face. "What? Oh, that's the dragon from Godric's Hollow –"

Snape yelped and scrambled back, but only found the empty fireplace. Riana transformed into a dragon small enough to perch on Hermione's shoulder and nodded sombrely to Snape. Behind him, a fire roared to life and frightened Snape into leaping forward two feet. The fire glowed green before a familiar silhouette appeared, revolving quickly. As Mrs. Weasley stepped out of the fireplace, Ginny and Ron went pale, and Hermione and Harry stepped back. Snape sat down in his seat behind his desk and waved his wand, creating a Silencing Charm around the room and watching the dragon carefully.

"So."

Mrs Weasley stood with her hands on her hips, her lips pursed. Her eyes were narrowed at the four children, and Snape, in a quick bit of thinking, placed a Silencing Charm over his own ears so that he would not be able to hear what was coming.

"Hi, Mu–"

"Don't 'hi, Mum' me, young lady!" Mrs Weasley, even being shorter than the four teenagers, towered over them. Harry and Hermione stepped back again, and the redheaded siblings turned even paler under their freckles.

Molly pointed to the fireplace and the four instantly walked towards it, throwing Floo powder into the grate and travelling to The Burrow. Snape stepped through as well, just to watch the fun of Harry cowering before Molly.

"Do you have any idea how worried your father and I have been, Ronald? Dragging your sister along with you on some stupid trip around the country! You could have been _killed_ , you could have been _arrested,_ you could have been horribly _injured_ , and all you left was one little note that made it sound like Death Eaters had taken you!"

Riana fluttered to the windowsill and covered her ears with her wings, but even her slight movement and chirp of discomfort would not distract Molly.

"Your father gathered a group of Order members and went out looking for you! Mrs. Delacour went with them, worried about the four of you! A guest in our home went on a four-month-long expedition to find you, and yet you've evaded them at every turn –"

"Four months?" Ginny asked. "We haven't' been gone for four months! Four weeks, maybe, but not four months!"

"Yes, Ginevra. Four _months._ It's the middle of November!" Molly lifted a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ from the kitchen table and handed it to Ginny. The date read _19_ _th_ _November 1997_.

"This doesn't make sense!" Ginny cried, handing the paper to her brother, who stared at the date. She turned to Riana. "What date was it when you delivered Harry's message to the Ministry?"

"Did you have something to do with the message that Lucius Malfoy offered the entire Ministry?" Molly demanded. Harry nodded slightly and Molly stared at him. She finally noticed the dragon hidden behind her when she turned to see whom Ginny was addressing. The Weasley Matriarch blanched, but held strong in her fury until she saw the dragon jump to the floor and change into a house-elf. Riana stood between Molly and her daughter, twisting her hands.

"A newspaper I passed said thirteenth October," Riana answered, wringing her hands and facing Molly. "I am so sorry about this, Mistress, but I don't think they knew about the time-distorting effects of the Treasure Cave –"

"What?" Harry yelped, stepping towards Riana. "'Time-distorting'?"

Riana stepped back. "Aye. It's one of the effects of the cave. Once wizards find their way to the cave, they are usually hit with greed and a desire to keep the treasure they find. By the time they have emptied the cave, if they succeed, the treasure has either been stolen or rotted away. Within two decades the treasure returns to the cave, making the whole trip wasted."

Molly was watching the children and the shape-shifting house elf with wide eyes. Hermione noticed and smiled at the woman. "Riana's a Kelpie."

The effect of that sentence was instantaneous. Molly and Snape pointed their wands at Riana, threatening action if she moved. Snape stood up and stepped forward.

Ron stepped in front of Riana, shielding the house elf from the adults. Or was it the adults from Riana? The Kelpie had changed into a spectacular variety of monkey and was hanging on to Ron's arm by her tail, chattering at the adults. Snape and Molly exchanged glances.

"Mum, Riana's not like the other Kelpies." Ginny stepped up to stand next to her brother, so the chattering Riana was between them. Harry and Hermione stood on either side of the siblings.

"What manner of subterfuge is this?" Snape asked, his wand still pointed at Riana.

Ginny frowned at the man. "Are there two species of humans? Magic and non-Magic?" She used the same logic that Riana had when they met.

"Light- and dark-skins?" Ron asked, looking at his mother.

"Those of good intentions and those of bad?" Harry pointedly looked at Snape. The man blinked.

"Every creature on the earth has members of both the good and bad variety. Kelpies are despised because of the minority that take human flesh rather than fish. Not every creature is the same as the others, just as no human is the same as the others." Hermione pointed at Riana. "Riana has never made a move against us, and she has saved us from capture by Death Eaters."

Harry glared at Snape. "You know her, even if you don't realise it. She released you when she could have killed you. Don't attempt to kill her now."

Snape and Molly exchanged looks before both slowly lowered their wands and put them away. "All right, but if she makes one move to get anyone –"

Riana stopped chattering and fell to the floor, where she spouted scarlet plumage and a beak. A handsome phoenix spread its wings and bowed to Molly, the black eyes glittering with mirth.

"I guess I'd better tell your father that you're here."

"We'll go, Mum –"

"You will not, Ronald Weasley!" Molly turned on the redhead. "I will not have you disappearing off into the sunset and worry me sick again!"

"But, Mrs. Weasley –"

"No, Harry. I don't care if Dumbledore himself sent you on a mission, you are too young! The Order is for members who are of age and –"

"But we are of age!" Ron yelled.

"Ginny is not!" Mrs Weasley looked at the four before her. Ginny was glaring mutinously while Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged glances. "You cannot drag your sister off –"

"They didn't drag me off! They wanted me to stay here but I said no!"

While Molly stared at her daughter, Ron took up the fight. "Mum, we aren't kids anymore! We've all been targeted by You-Know-Who, and he's not going to wait for us to go to him! He's going to come to us, and we have to work to stop him!"

"That's enough, Mr. Weasley –" Snape said, to be cut off by Ginny.

"No, it isn't! She has to understand that we are responsible for what we do, and we are going to get rid of the Dark Lord whether she wants us to or not!"

A tear roiled down Molly's cheek and the anger dissipated from the room. Ron and Ginny rushed forward to hug their mother while Harry and Hermione hung back, swapping looks. Snape took it as his cue to leave and patted Molly on the shoulder as he walked to the Floo.

When the rumble of the fire had died down, Molly glanced up to Hermione and Harry. They couldn't help it. They rushed forward to hug her as well.

15: Dividing The Burrow

Harry, Ron and Hermione spent the days at The Burrow separated from one another, cleaning the house from top to bottom. Ginny was always in the kitchen with Molly, whether sitting at the table doing idle spells that Molly was trying to teach her or simply staring ahead at nothing.

The long days wore on with constant tales of death and trouble through the Wireless Wizarding Network and the _Daily Prophet_. Harry was being slowly driven insane with all the waiting they were being forced to do.

The 'rescue party' appeared a few days after Harry and the others had been returned to The Burrow. They had all shown their relief that Harry and the others were safe, though the look in Lupin's eyes when he had welcomed Harry back said that they would be having a long chat later.

Riana had become somewhat of an honorary Weasley since they had arrived. Lupin was especially happy to see the Kelpie, who jumped on him in the form of a beagle when he stepped out of the Floo. When Lupin asked Molly when she had bought a dog, Riana transformed into her dog-like shape and Lupin cried out in joy.

The Kelpie was staying in whatever room she felt, some days with Ron, some with Hermione, Harry or Ginny. The nights when Lupin and Tonks stayed over, Riana assumed the form of a house-elf and sat up late into the night with them, listening to their stories.

Harry woke up one morning to see snow on the ground outside. He smiled to himself at how peaceful the world seemed. With the winter settling in and being far away from the wireless downstairs, it was almost possible for him to believe that there was nothing wrong with the world and that he was spending a quiet Christmas with the Weasleys.

"No, Mum!"

Ginny's voice echoed up through the house to where Harry sat in Charlie's old room. On the wardrobe, Hedwig hooted and rustled her wings irritably, giving him a reproachful glare as he shut the window and left the room to see what Ginny was yelling about this time.

"Ginevra Weasley, you are still underage and you will return to Hogwarts! You will learn all the things you need to get a proper job!"

Ginny Weasley had had enough of her mother. She loved the woman dearly, but Molly had a tenancy to think of her as still being five years old. It was constantly an area of strife between them now.

She crossed her arms and glared down at her mother, who was an inch shorter. "I'm. Not. Going. I will not willingly enter into Hogwarts as a student, knowing that the Dark Lord is in the Headmaster's office!"

Molly flinched when Ginny said "Dark Lord." Although Molly's common sense told her that her only daughter would not enter the service of Lord Voldemort, hearing the Death Eaters' name for him grace her daughter's lips made her wonder. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"For Merlin's sake, Mum! Will you stop flinching when I call him that! I would never go over to the Dark! I've been there once and I won't go back! Hermione's my best friend, Harry Potter is my boyfriend, I'm a blood-traitor Weasley and I've already opposed him often enough to make him want to kill me as much as he does Harry!"

Harry stood in the doorway, unnoticed by either woman. He crossed his arms over his chest and watched Ginny yell at her mother. The four of them had grown up on their little adventure. They were now unafraid to stand up to Mrs. Weasley and, as a result, the number of shouting matches that had taken place in the three weeks they'd been stuck at The Burrow had tripled.

Mrs. Weasley was keeping the four of them separate or under her nose in order to prevent them taking off again, that much was certain. As a result, most of the yelling matches had been on that very topic. Riana, however, was sending messages from one teen to the other as they organised a time to leave again, right under Molly's nose.

"Do you want proof that we aren't Death Eaters, Mum? Do you want proof that none of us went over to Voldemort while we were 'traipsing around the countryside'?"

Before Mrs. Weasley could even shake her head, Ginny had pulled her arm out of her jumper and shown the woman her elbow. It gleamed pale in the sunlight shining in the window, and Harry coughed. Ginny pulled her arm back in her sleeve, glaring at her mother. Mrs. Weasley was pale, as though she was on the verge of tears again. It had become a common occurrence with all the fights going on.

"Ha—Harry, dear," Molly said, wiping her eyes on her apron. "What're you doing up this early?"

"I was enjoying the peace that the first snowfall brings, when it was shattered by my girlfriend." Harry grinned at the woman, acting as though he hadn't heard the fight.

Mrs. Weasley smiled at him. "Sit down, Harry. I'll make you some breakfast." She gestured to a chair and said to her daughter, "We'll talk about it later."

"Can't wait," Ginny said sarcastically, moving to sit next to her boyfriend, who held her hand under the table.

"What was that about?" Harry asked, despite knowing the answer.

"What? Oh, chore allocations," Ginny said, watching Harry's face. He frowned, but said nothing.

A few minutes later, as Mrs. Weasley was setting down a plate of eggs, bacon and toast in front of Harry, Hermione entered, her normally bushy hair held back in a plait that reached halfway down her back.

"'Morning, Hermione," Harry said after swallowing a mouthful of bacon. Hermione looked between him and Ginny.

"Was that your dulcet tones I heard waking me up this morning, Ginny?" Hermione asked, smiling. "Next time you should just hit me with a bucket of water or something."

Ginny stuck out her tongue as Mrs. Weasley placed a plate of toast in front of her and a full breakfast in front of Hermione.

"Why don't I get a full breakfast, Mum?" Ginny asked, poking at her toast with a fork.

"Because you already ate half of your breakfast before I got here!" Mrs. Weasley levitated a jug of pumpkin juice down between the two teens, and Harry was forced to let Ginny's hand go in order to eat.

A few minutes later, the smell of food brought Ron down the stairs, his hair sticking up everywhere as he straightened his shirt. Mrs. Weasley placed a plate on the table next to Ginny, and Ron sat down.

"Has any mail come today, Mum?" he asked, and Harry stopped eating to look at him. Ron noticed and went red. "The _Prophet,_ I mean!"

Harry and Hermione chuckled as Ginny grinned at her brother. Mrs. Weasley placed the paper down next to Ron and he disappeared behind it, only the top of his head visible.

"Oh no!" Ron cried.

"What's wrong, Ron?" Hermione asked, putting down her fork. The others did too, and Mrs. Weasley tried hard not to look like she was listening.

"Dung's been attacked! So have Moody, Lupin and Kingsley! It says that they were on their way to London when something happened to them. Oh, look at the picture, it looks like they've been mauled! Oh, I hope Tonks doesn't see this…"

Mrs. Weasley walked calmly over to Ron and looked at the picture over their shoulder. "Maybe I should see if she's alright…"

"If she hasn't seen the _Prophet_ though, Mum, that'll put her on her guard," Ginny said, looking at her mother.

Hedwig soared through the window and landed on the table, attacking the bacon left abandoned on Harry's plate.

"Hedwig?" Harry frowned at the bird. "What – Riana! Get out of it!"

The owl stared at him. She hooted and jumped to the floor, where she turned into her dog-like shape, her tongue hanging out as she begged for scraps.

"No, Riana. Turn into something manageable and I'll give you some breakfast." Mrs. Weasley took the paper from Ron, placed a plate on the table next to Hermione and went to use the Floo.

Riana sat on the seat in front of her bacon and turned into Ginny. She smiled at Harry, winked at Ginny and the pair of them swapped seats. A few minutes later, when Mrs. Weasley returned, she looked at Riana's empty plate, then at where Ginny was eating Riana's bacon.

"Riana?" the Weasley matriarch asked. Ginny looked up at her. "You're getting very good with cutlery, dear."

"Thanks, Mum!" Ginny said cheerfully, and Mrs. Weasley stared at her. Riana burst out laughing and turned into Ron. She and Ginny swapped places again, and Riana started eating with a little less gusto than the real Ron would.

"Do you two have to do that to me? Every time I leave the room you do that." Mrs. Weasley stopped as she heard the Floo activate. "I invited Tonks for breakfast."

She left the room to welcome Tonks, and Hermione leaned over to whisper something in Riana's ear. The Kelpie smiled and quickly transformed into a woman with a heart-shaped face, spiked bubble-gum pink hair and blue eyes, the very image of Tonks the last time that the quartet had seen her before they left on their quest to Godric's Hollow.

When Tonks walked in and caught sight of herself sitting across the table, she stopped in the doorway.

"Oh, don't worry about her, Dora dear," Mrs. Weasley said, smiling at the woman in the doorway. "She's just being strange."

Riana stood up and smiled, revealing pointed tooth as her hair turned green. "Hello, Tonks. At last we meet," she said in a flamboyantly posh accent. "My name's Ghorianastapholianio."

Hermione and Ginny giggled, while Harry smiled and Ron snorted into his juice. Tonks grinned at the Kelpie, not realising what she really was.

"Nice to meet you, Ghoriadalian… Ghorli… Just nice to meet you. I didn't think there were any other Metamorphamagi around here?" She directed the question at Mrs. Weasley, who grinned at her.

"Why don't you go for a walk with our new guest out in the garden?" she suggested to Riana, who grinned and smiled at Tonks.

"Right this way," Riana said, gesturing to the door and making the quartet giggle again.

"How long do you think it'll take to click?" Ron asked Hermione, who grinned and looked at Harry.

"About the length of time it takes for them to do a circuit of the garden," he said, looking out the door.

"How long have you been living here?" Tonks asked as they made their way around the garden. She was puzzling over the identity of the person walking beside her, who seemed to know an awful lot about both she and Lupin, and seemed very familiar.

"Since Harry and the others got back," Riana answered in the same posh accent.

"Why haven't I seen you around here before?" Tonks asked as Riana stumbled over a root.

"You have," Riana answered with a grin. "Quite a few times, actually."

Tonks stared at the green-haired woman as they set off around the pond. On their way back to the house, Tonks suddenly stopped and grinned at the Kelpie, who grinned back.

"How have you been, Riana?" Tonks asked, and Riana's smile slipped.

"I wanted to make the others think that I can fool anyone," Riana pouted.

Tonks grinned. "I am still clueless to your identity," she said, and Riana laughed as she led her way back to The Burrow.

As they neared the door, they heard crockery smash, and a shout that could have been Mrs. Weasley rip the air. The pair ran inside to find a black-robed figure standing in the middle of the kitchen. Ron, Harry, Hermione and Ginny were gone, and Mrs Weasley was lying in a pool of blood, her brown eyes glassy as they stared at the ceiling.

"Where are the Deathly Hallows?" the dark-cloaked figure demanded.

16: The Deathly Hallows

"Where are the Deathly Hallows?" the dark-cloaked figure demanded again as Tonks was blasted off her feet, crashing into a wall.

Riana snarled at the Death Eater. "Those foul things are not here! You have killed on sacred ground and for that, the magic of the Hallows will bind you!"

The figure's laugh turned to a screech of pain as a Cutting Hex hit him in the back. Ron, his eyes red from tears, leapt at the figure as Ginny ran for Mrs Weasley. Hermione ran for Tonks and Apparated away with her unconscious form. Harry grabbed Riana around the wrist and a second later, they were standing in the entrance hall to Grimmauld Place.

Ginny was the next to appear, her face red, her hands covered in blood as they held Mrs Weasley. Tears were rolling down Ginny's face as she stood there, and Harry rushed over to her.

"I'm glad we taught you to Apparate," Harry said, holding her close as she sobbed into his chest. Mrs Weasley lay on the floor, Riana and the healed Tonks looking over her body to see what had killed her.

Despite being the middle of the war, Mrs. Weasley had a grand funeral, shared with Lupin, Moody and Kingsley. It was a quiet affair, and Harry demanded that he pay for the whole thing. The Death Eaters did not attack the gathering of Order members, and they had a relatively peaceful ceremony.

The wake was held in 12 Grimmauld Place, as it was bigger than The Burrow, and The Burrow was now in the same state of insecurity as it had been in the summer before Harry's fifth year.

Harry, Hermione, Tonks and Riana sat in a corner, watching the Weasleys. They were all huddled around the fire, staring into it with a glum expression on their collective faces. Celestina Warbeck played softly in the background through the wireless, and most people were talking quietly, if at all.

"I don't get it," Harry said, staring at his cup. "Why would they kill her now? Why not wait for the final battle in this war? She told me once that she was better at household spells than combat ones."

"The last of the 'Prewetts' and all that," Tonks said, watching Arthur as he sat sipping a drink. Steam was coming out of his ears.

"But what was that about the 'Deadly Hollows', or something?" Hermione asked. "I've never heard of them."

"The Deathly Hallows," Tonks and Riana corrected absently.

"The Deathly Hallows are a fearfully destructive force, capable of destroying the entire world." Tonks turned to look at Hermione and Harry seriously. Ron and Ginny made their way over to see what was happening. "Anyone who contains the force ends up dead. It takes a while, but it will kill them."

"But what _are_ the Deathly Hallows?" Hermione asked, staring at Tonks.

Riana let out a screech and spat into the fireplace. "The Deathly Hallows are foul things. No one should ever control the forces of the Dead. To even think of the Dark wizards getting it is disgusting." She growled under her breath.

"What are thy?" Hermione pressed again. "They must be powerful if they have you scared."

"The Deathly Hallows were once a spell, made to bring the dead back to life."

"But you can't –"

"You could." Riana looked Hermione in the eye. "My grandfather told me, just before he died, about the last fool who tried for the Deathly Hallows. They found him huddled in a corner, nothing but bones."

"You mean, he starved himself?" Harry asked quietly.

"No. The Deathly Hallows stripped him of everything before they would do his bidding. When his skeleton was found, four people died in the same manner. The Deathly Hallows killed them all at the request of their dead master."

"And you think … Voldemort would chance death to release the Hallows?" Hermione asked in a small voice.

"Worse, Hermione. To him, he's not chancing Death. He thinks his Horcruxes will save him." Tonks shuffled in her seat.

"What do the Hallows do?" Harry asked, scared of the answer.

"They destroy your soul, making you one of them. The Dead Saints, they're also called."

"Dead Demons, more like," Arthur Weasley muttered. The gathering sprang apart to look at the man as he stood behind them. "If Voldemort can gets hold of those Hallows, we're all dead."

"How long have you been standing there?" Ron asked his father, getting out of his seat so that Arthur could sit down.

"Too long." Arthur collapsed into the chair, his eyes red and puffy. "I want you four to promise that you won't go looking for the Hallows."

"Eugh!"

"I would never do that!"

"No way!"

"We promise, Dad!"

"Good." Arthur looked over his glasses at the teens. "I think it's bed time. I daresay we've given you plenty to think about, so head on upstairs."

The teens nodded and stood, murmuring 'goodnight' to the adults and the Kelpie.

Tonks looked at the house-elf sitting on the chair next to her. "You too, Riana. I want to talk to Arthur."

Riana nodded and stood up on the chair. "Good night." The house-elf bowed and vanished with a crack.

"I didn't know she could do that," Tonks said, staring at the chair.

"I am sure that Riana is full of a lot more surprises," Arthur mumbled. "I daresay that some of them won't be fun."

During the week after the mass funeral, Harry was forced to talk to Kreacher once again, as the house-elf had returned to Grimmauld Place after Hogwarts had been taken by the Dark Forces.

While Arthur and the others were out on missions, Harry went to visit the house-elf in his hole in the kitchen, wanting to ask him about a locket he had found the year before.

Harry opened the door of the hole to find the large locket with the crest of Slytherin lying half-hidden in the old, musty towels of Kreacher's hollow.

"Kreacher?" Harry called, and the house-elf appeared behind him.

"Yes, Mudblood master, sir?"

"Stop calling me that! Where did you get this locket?" Harry picked up the piece of jewellery out of the hollow. Kreacher's eyes bulged and he tried to snatch it out of Harry's hands.

"That is Kreacher's! Master must give it back to Kreacher! Master was not wanting it before! Master threw it out and Kreacher got it back!"

"Okay," Harry said, fending off the house-elf. "What about if I trade you this locket for another one?"

Kreacher stopped reaching for the locket. "What was master saying he would trade Kreacher's locket for?"

Harry pulled the fake Horcrux out of his pocket. "This one."

Kreacher looked at the locket and turned red. He went to grab the Horcrux again. "No! Master is not trading fair with Kreacher! Master is not giving Kreacher what Kreacher wants!" Kreacher snatched the locket from Harry's hand and ran off with it.

Harry frowned. "Kreacher! Kreacher get back here and give me that locket, now!"

As if pulled by invisible ropes and with a sour look on his face, Kreacher was hauled back to Harry and his hand rose, clasping the locket. Kreacher was forced to let it go to fall onto Harry's palm. Harry hung the fake Horcrux around Kreacher's neck as Hermione and Ginny ran into the room.

"Harry, what -?"

"We saw Kreacher running and we heard you shouting."

Harry held up the Horcrux as Kreacher glared death up at him, still unable to move. "I found another Horcrux."

Hermione squeaked and covered her mouth while Ginny stepped forward to take the locket. "It feels like Riddle's diary," she said, handing it back to Harry.

"Harry, what have you done to Kreacher?" Hermione asked staring at the house-elf, and Harry looked at him.

"Kreacher, you are forbidden to attempt to regain this Horcrux," Harry said, indicating the necklace. "Don't let me see you until I call for you."

"Harry!" Hermione gasped, covering her mouth as the house-elf vanished with a crack and a sour face. "You can't do that!"

Harry turned to face Hermione. She stepped back, groping for her wand. Harry's eyes were crimson.

"I can do whatever I want, you stupid girl," Harry hissed. It wasn't Harry's voice, but that of Voldemort. Harry's wand rose, pointing at Hermione.

"Harry, what -?" Ginny asked, then gasped.

"Run, Ginny! Ron, just run!" Hermione tore her eyes away from Harry long enough to glance at the pair, and they ran, seeing the fear in her eyes.

Harry laughed, a high, cruel laugh. "Oh, you silly girl."

A jet of green light shot at Hermione. She threw herself to the side, managing to avoid it.

Harry fell to his knees, holding his head tightly. He was panting, his wand on the floor beside his feet. "Get out of my head!" he was whispering, his eyes clenched tightly shut, his hands balled into fists.

Hermione, recovering from her close brush with death, Summoned Harry's wand beyond his reach. She stood up and shakily ran out of the door. Harry whirled around, his eyes crimson, his face curled in pain and fury.

"No matter, foolish girl," Voldemort hissed. He strode casually around the room, looking for the teenagers. He occasionally blasted pieces of furniture and doors out of his way, damaging the entire house.

When the pain in his head got too much, however, Voldemort was forced to leave Harry's mind. Unfortunately, he vanished on the top of the stairs.

The crashing thuds of Harry falling backwards down the stairs brought Hermione and Ginny out of their hiding places. They gasped when they saw Harry lying at the bottom of the stairs, his right arm broken, his left leg bent at a weird angle.

"I guess Voldemort had enough," Ron whispered, peering around the door to the kitchen.

"I don't know," Ginny said, her face white, "but he won't be happy if he knows we know about the Horcruxes."

17: Even More Bad News

Hermione and Ginny cast several spells on Harry and levitated him up to the room he was sleeping in. None of the three wanted to get within arm's reach of the boy, in case it was all a trick of Voldemort's.

Harry woke up three days later. His head was pounding, his arm and leg were stiff, and it hurt to breathe.

"Harry?" Ginny whispered, noticing the green in his eyes.

"Ginny?" Harry looked around the room. "What happened? Why does my chest hurt?"

"You fell down the stairs," Hermione said, and Harry tried to turn to look at her. She rested a hand on his shoulder. "Voldemort possessed you. Well," she added, "I hope it was Voldemort, because if it was you trying to kill me, we need to have a talk." Hermione's lips curled into a half-smile.

Riana jumped up onto the foot of Harry's bed. "I suggest you be quieter if you don't want the Death Eaters next door to hear you."

Harry stared at her. "What?"

"When you were possessed," Riana explained, looking at her cat-like paw, "Voldemort was let in on the secret of this house. He spread the secret and now we're surrounded by Death Eaters."

"We were going to leave, but you couldn't be moved," Ginny explained, holding Harry's hand. "We had to mend the break in your neck from a fall down three flights of stairs."

Harry turned to stare at her.

"We're going to leave now, though," Hermione explained. "You're awake so you can be moved. We fixed your arm and leg, though they'll be a little sore for a while."

Harry nodded. "Where are we going to go? This is the last refuge, isn't it?"

"We took everyone else to Godric's Hollow," Ron explained. "They're waiting there for us."

"We're not going there, are we?" Harry asked, and Ron and Hermione looked at each other.

"We found a lead on another Horcrux while you were asleep," Hermione explained. "We're going after it."

"Where is it?" Harry asked, looking at the three teens and the Kelpie in front of him.

"Rumour has it that another Dark object, aside from the locket around your neck, rests in Dover." Riana looked Harry in the eye. "Do you know who else was rumoured to live in Dover?"

"No. Who?"

"Rowena Ravenclaw herself." Riana nodded to Hermione, who was staring at her. "A fitting place for that snake to live, isn't it? Ravenclaw lived there in her time, didn't she?"

Harry nodded. "When do we leave?"

The doorknob rattled. A familiar voice called, "Oi, Asterius! I heard voices in there!"

"Now." Ron grabbed his sister and Apparated away. Hermione took hold of Harry and a moment later they were in the familiar tight dark tube of Apparation.

As they sped away from the house, a voice yelled out, "Get it off me!"

They'd forgotten Riana.

The white cliffs of Dover were cold when Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny Apparated onto the top of them. The wind howling in from the sea was reminding the quartet of the ending winter. There was no snow on the ground but the spray made them feel just as cold.

"We have to go back for her!"

"We can't, Harry! The Death Eaters would have set up a trap by now!"

"Hermione, we have to go!"

"We can't, Harry!" Hermione leapt forward and grabbed his sleeve. "We have to destroy the Horcruxes first!"

Harry shrugged Hermione off and sat on the ground, his face in his hands. "Fine, Hermione. I'll leave our friend to the tender mercies of the Death Eaters." He glared up at her and pulled the locket off from around his neck. He cast it into the dirt as he stood up. Before Hermione could grab him again, however, he Disapparated.

"Harry, you idiot! You're going to get us all killed!" she screamed to the empty air. With a glance at Ron, she Disapparated as well, leaving the siblings alone on the cliffs.

"I suppose we should start looking for the house," Ron said. Ginny shrugged. They wandered off along the cliffs, worried about their friends.

"Hello, can I help you?" an old man asked, looking up from his pipe. Ron and Ginny were standing outside an old, abandoned house, staring up at it in what appeared to be awe.

Ron looked around at the old man. "We were just wondering who lives here."

"Why, no one does!" the old man said, surprise lacing his voice.

Ginny looked around at him with a questioning look in her eyes. "What did you say?"

"This house has been abandoned for years, but no one wants to knock it down. There's a rumour that to do so would bring a curse on the person who did the demolition."

"Who cast the curse?" Ginny asked.

The old man laughed. "It's just gossip, missy. Curses aren't real!"

Ron and Ginny looked at each other. They knew otherwise, but chose to ignore the man.

"Tell you what," the man said, emptying his pipe, "come and have a drink with me, and I'll tell you the story behind this house."

Ron looked at Ginny, who nodded. "All right, sir."

Harry appeared in the room he had just left. Lying on the floor nearby was the body of a Death Eater, covered in blood. A blood trail ran out the door, past the Death Eater, in the shape of a set of large hoof prints.

"Riana?" Harry whispered, looking around.

A loud neigh came from downstairs, followed closely by screams and shouts of men. Harry jumped. He made his way to the banister and looked down. There below was a large, horse-like figure with bulrushes for mane and tail, trampling, biting and buffeting the Death Eaters attempting to Stun or kill it.

"Riana!" Harry yelled, attracting the attention of the Death Eaters.

"That was a stupid thing to do," Hermione said, hauling Harry back from the edge as Killing Curses and Stunning Spells flew up towards them. "Now we've lost the advantage of surprise."

Harry smiled. "Good to have you back, Hermione."

"I couldn't let you get yourself killed on your own."

Ron, Ginny and the old man sat in a bar, Ron and the old man with a glass of beer each, Ginny with a glass of cola. The old man relit his pipe as he leaned back in his chair, watching the pair.

"So, you wanted to know the story about the house on the cliffs?"

"That's right," Ginny said, watching the man. She, like Ron, was hiding her wand under the table, ready to use it at a moment's notice.

"Well. That old house has quite a history. So many people have wanted to own it, and so much blood has been spilt inside it."

"How old is the house?" Ron asked, taking a sip of beer. It was much bitterer than butterbeer, so he had to take small sips.

The man scratched his whiskery chin. "Well, the legend behind the house says that it already was around in the days of the Crusades, but I don't believe it."

"Why not?"

"How could a simple, normal house last that long?" The man looked surprised. "Castles have, but only because they're made of rock!"

Ron nodded to the man.

"So what are we going to do?" Harry whispered, listening to the sounds of Riana attacking the Death Eaters. Some of the darkly-dressed figures were pounding up the stairs to where the pair crouched, keeping an eye out for them.

"I don't know! You're the one who rushed into here!"

Harry frowned, his mind racing. "They don't know we can Apparate, right?"

"I don't think so…"

"So why don't we Apparate around them, confuse them, grab Riana and Disapparate back to Dover?"

"Because that could get us killed!"

"Got any better ideas, Hermione, because I don't!"

"Oh, all right, but be careful!"

"You too."

The Death Eaters reached the landing below Harry and Hermione. The pair nodded to each other, stood up, turned on their heels and vanished with a crack. They Apparated downstairs with another crack and Disapparated again, trying to get closer to Riana. The Death Eaters were shooting off random spells, attempting to hit Hermione, Harry or Riana, who was growing into a dragon again.

"Riana! Shrink!" Hermione cried, vanishing again.

The dragon grew smaller, flying into the face of a Death Eater. He dropped his wand and started to scratch at her, but she had already leapt into Hermione's hands, narrowly missing a Killing Curse. Hermione and Riana vanished, and Harry followed them back to Dover.

18: Neville's Stance

Neville Longbottom flattened himself against the wall of the corridor, waiting for the Death Eater to pass him by. He was standing in the shadow of a set of armour, biting his lip as he squeezed his eyes shut, hardly daring to breathe.

The Death Eater shuffled up the corridor, his black robes billowing in the slight draught flowing through that part of the castle. At last his pursuer yawned and turned away from Neville, shuffling his way back up the corridor. When Neville heard the door of a teacher's office shut in the silence, he breathed out and looked down the corridor, away from the Death Eater's rooms.

He, Luna Lovegood, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan rushed to the banister to see Michael Corner's head peek out over the top. The others had hidden behind statues and in doorways. Michael had literally dived over the banister in order to escape the notice of the Death Eater, and had hung onto the thin rails that served as a wall between the walkers and the twenty-foot drop to the cold stone floor below.

Seamus and Dean hoisted the boy onto solid ground, staying as quiet as they could. When Michael had his breath back, they quietly shuffled their way down to the giant oak doors that marked the barrier between them and freedom. They opened the doors a foot and squeezed out, running over the melting snow towards the Forbidden Forest before they were spotted by a Death Eater gazing out of a window of the castle.

They reached the safety of the tree line. While they attempted to catch their breaths, Neville looked back over the grounds covered in January slush. Their footprints, not as clear as they had been during Christmas, were still easy to see if you knew where to look. He'd have to sweep them clean when they were finished.

"Luna, take the boys to the collection point," he gasped to the only girl in the group.

She nodded. The pair of them had done these runs countless times over the last five months. As she and the boys disappeared into the Forest, Neville was left to reflect on the last four months in Voldemort's care.

After Neville's spectacular speech of loyalty at the start of term feast, he was called up to Voldemort's office to discuss his 'lack of discipline' with his new Headmaster. Neville had left that meeting in much the same state he'd been in after the feast.

Over the months, more and more students had come to Neville and Luna, the last remaining loyal members of Dumbledore's Army, to ask for help leaving the castle. Voldemort had segregated Hogwarts from the outside world. The students didn't even get their mail; it was gathered, Voldemort read it, then the letters, gifts and supplies were set on fire in front of the students at every meal. They were not allowed to send mail either, for fear of giving away Voldemort's plans to the Ministry.

The first few nightly expeditions within the castle had landed almost twenty students in detention – Neville rubbed the scar running from the corner of his left eye to his ear – and the whole school in lockdown while a rollcall was called. Since then, the students had become even more eager to escape. Only one route had been found to be free of Death Eaters: the Forbidden Forest.

Neville had sneaked down to the Post Office during the night and sent a letter to his grandmother. Augusta Longbottom had supplied him with a timetable of when whose parents would be waiting at the collection point – an old, abandoned clearing in the Forest – for their children. Rather than send the timetables by owl, which Voldemort might intercept, she Apparated to Hogsmeade herself to deliver it to him.

Luna exited the Forest as Neville was picking a good-sized branch to sweep the footprints clear with. Luna had lost her absent personality in the face of becoming a hostage, and was much easier to understand. She picked another branch and started to help him, both of them keeping an eye out for Death Eaters.

They made it to the front steps and threw aside their branches. Neville squeezed through the door and had just turned to help Luna through when rough hands grabbed him from behind.

Voldemort's laugh echoed around the hall. "Mister Longbottom. So good to see you again."

"Run, Luna! Run!" Neville yelled before a hand clamped over his mouth.

"Uh uh uh, Mister Longbottom. It's not polite to yell." Voldemort nodded to the man who held Neville, and Neville was hoisted off his feet and carried up stairs to Voldemort's office.

"Find the girl," Voldemort hissed before he followed the badly-limping Asterius and the stiff-spined Neville.

Luna heard Neville's shout and ran like a frightened rabbit. She crossed the grounds and entered the Forest as a burst of green light hit a tree beside her. The tree exploded, making Luna run again, deep into the forest, following the trail she had taken only once before. Even then, she had something to attract the creatures.

A skeletal black horse appeared in the bush beside her. Its head cocked as it ran alongside her, as though asking what the game was. With practiced ease, Luna fell back a few steps, reached out for the Thestral's mane and leaped onto a stump. She jumped again and pulled herself up, one foot flying over the Thestral's black spine to allow her to sit just behind its shoulders. She shifted back a little, so her knees were behind the wing joints, and cried in the its ear, "Fly! Fly!"

The wings snapped open as a patch of sky appeared in front of them: The collection point! The Thestral leaped into the clearing and, with powerful strokes of his wings, flew through the air.

"Take me to Ottery St. Catchpole!"

The Thestral nodded and they turned south.

"So," Voldemort said, standing in front of the Headmaster's desk, "you are the one responsible for sneaking the students out of here."

Neville said nothing, just glared at Voldemort.

"Answer me, boy! _Imperio!_ "

A glazed feeling fell over Neville's mind. Through the blank thought the voice of Voldemort came, slow, persuasive and charming.

 _Just say, "Yes, Headmaster." That's all you have to do. "Yes, Headmaster."_

Just as Harry had described it, another feeling, only a little stronger than Voldemort's words, settled over the back of his mind.

 _Nah, I don't want to._

 _Just say, "Yes, Headmaster."_

 _No._

 _I said, say, "Yes, Headmaster!"_

 _And I say, "No!"_

 _Say it!_

"I won't!" Neville shouted, glaring at Voldemort.

Voldemort was taken aback for a few seconds, then blinked and composed himself. "You won't say 'yes' to me?" he asked in a dangerous voice.

Neville was shaking, but months of abuse from Voldemort were trembling within him, forcing him to speak his mind. "I will not call you Headmaster!"

"You won't?"

"No! You are not, nor will you ever be, a Headmaster of this school!"

"And what right have you to decide that?" Voldemort asked, laughing. "You're just a child."

"Am I? Many people have said that children are the voice of reason when adults lose theirs!" Neville was standing now, though he didn't remember getting up. "You are a miserable coward, relying on children as hostages, Voldemort, and I refuse to stand for it any more! I hope Harry and the others find what they're looking for. That will mean the death of you, whether I am around to see it or not."

Voldemort's wand rose. "Fine. _Avada -_ "

Neville drew his own wand, but it was too late. He could do nothing, and he refused to fight back, to give in to Voldemort's silent challenge.

"— _Kedavra!_ "

The green light was the last thing Neville saw before it all became dark.

Luna landed on the front lawn of The Burrow to find that there was no one home. She was still struggling with the adrenalin that was coursing through her system, and jumped every time the Thestral moved in the grass.

She walked back over to it and climbed on using a step on the chicken house. "I don't suppose you know where Harry Potter is?"

The Thestral's head came up and he turned to look at the pond behind the orchard to their right. It balked and threw her off, flapping into the sky; it was out of sight in a matter of seconds.

A deer leaped out of the orchard and made its way towards her. Luna frowned at it.

"What about you could have scared that Thestral so much?" she asked the deer, reaching out to touch it.

Just as her hand touched its head, its shape started melting, and Luna yelped, scrambling away from it. Where the deer had been standing a few seconds ago was a small ball of black fur, the size of a puppy.

Luna stared at it as the fur ball grew legs and a tail. A head was lifted from its chest as the whole thing grew to the size of a horse. The dog opened its eyes to reveal blue irises that glowed in the morning light.

"Don't be afraid," the dog said, taking a tentative step forward. "My name is Riana. I'm a Kelpie."

Luna scrambled back a few more steps.

"No – don't run!" Riana called, stepping forward again. "Harry sent me!"

19: Luna and the Centaurs

Luna stared at the Kelpie.

"Please – it's very important that you and Neville come with – with-" Riana looked around. "Where's Neville?"

Luna swallowed, but could not make her mouth work.

"Well?" Riana demanded, her eyes wide with fear. "He is an irreplaceable part of the Plan! We need him here now!"

Luna felt a tear drip from her cheek. "Voldemort got him. Just after we smuggled Seamus, Michael and Dean out of the castle."

Riana's mouth fell open as her hears fell back, her eyes still wide in panic. A look that said they were in a lot of trouble.

She stamped her paw, making the earth tremble. "I should have gotten to you sooner! By now, Voldemort would have done him serious harm!"

"Or killed him," Luna said, sitting on a large stone. "He said yesterday that if Voldemort caught him again, he'd rather be killed than find another scar on his face in the morning."

Riana stared at Luna, and then seemed to make a decision. "Get on. We're taking this to the only one who can fix this problem."

"I'm not getting on you," Luna said, fear in her eyes. "Kelpies eat humans."

"Only if they're idiots," Riana said, snorting. "I only eat fish. Get on."

Luna still didn't move.

"Fine." Riana turned in to a house elf and marched over to Luna, taking hold of her wrist. Before the blonde girl could protest, they were standing on the top of a dormant volcano, looking down at a village nestled amongst the trees.

"Welcome to Godric's Hollow," Riana said, tugging on Luna's skirt. "Hurry up. We need to find them before Harry realises I'm gone."

"Who are we looking for?"

"Cent -"

"Ghorianastapholianio!" someone barked. "We thought you were exiled from this island!"

Five centaurs, a hunting party, strode out of the woods, their bows and arrows aimed at Luna and Riana. Luna stepped closer to Riana.

"What do they want?" she asked, looking at the arrow pointed at her.

"Who is this?" another centaur demanded, stepping closer and putting his weapon down. He looked closer to Luna. "A foal!"

"She is as I am," Riana said, her form sprouting up to the shape of a large crone, complete with warts and a hump. "Leave her be if you know what's good for you."

"That's no way to greet old friends, Ghorianastapholianio!" a third centaur cried, clapping his friend on the back and getting closer to Luna.

"How many times do I have to tell you idiots to call me Riana?" she snapped, growing teeth longer than those of her dog-shape. The centaurs laughed.

"As many times as you want. We won't listen to you."

"That's for sure," she mumbled.

"Say, Riana," the fourth centaur called, "how fit are you?"

"As fit as I've always been. Why?" she asked, suspicious.

"See if you can catch us!" the last centaur called, grabbing Luna and throwing her over his shoulder, all five of them galloping off into the brush.

Luna tried to curse them, but found that her wand was unreachable at the moment.

Riana growled and shifted into a dog. She followed them, catching up with the five of them a few miles out. She shifted into a dragon and followed them to their Headman.

Hermione, Ron, Harry and Ginny were living in the 'abandoned' house in Dover while steadily searching the large, two-storey dwelling from thatch to cellar in order to find the mythical Potions book that Rowena Ravenclaw had once written.

"This is hopeless," Ron hissed, throwing rotting furniture around in an effort to find a hidden door or compartment that the book might be hidden in. "If Voldemort had turned that book into a Horcrux, there's no way he would have left it here."

"Why not?" Harry asked from the doorway. "Dumbledore said he found the ring in the ruins of his grandfather's house."

"That doesn't mean that the book will be here."

"But -"

 _Crash._

"I've got it!" Ginny yelled from the next room.

Ron and Harry turned and ran into the room. Ginny was standing in the middle, a part of the roof above her having crashed on the floor in front of her.

A blue-covered book was lying in the rubble. It remained spotlessas the dust settled in the room.

Riana chased the centaurs to their crude village as the sun reached its zenith.

"Well well well," one old, female centaur said, moving in front of Riana, "the Kelpie's come crawling back. Want me to go find your chain?"

Riana growled at her as she heard Luna gasp. "I'm here for my friend. Then I'm leaving."

"What do you know, it can talk." The old centaur cackled and shuffled towards the crude house behind her. "That'll fetch a lot, a kelpie that can talk."

Riana growled again before she heard a body hit the ground. She ran over to Luna, who was lying, stunned, on the ground.

"Luna! Are you okay?" Riana knelt next to the girl, in the shape of Harry.

She opened her eyes to look at her and stared. "Harry?"

"Riana." Riana's face changed slightly before she took hold of Luna's wrist again. "I can see we're getting no help here."

"What are you here for, Riana?" a large, black stallion asked, standing behind her.

Riana turned around and glared at him. "I was going to tell you that your stupid stars are wrong. Neville Longbottom, the Second Child, has been killed by Voldemort."

"The stars never lie," the stallion said, pawing the ground.

"You yourself have told me before that the interpreters do." Riana stood up, turning to face the stallion. She grew into a large and formidable stallion herself, looking down on the Headman.

"Now, you listen and you listen good. The prophecy you have been setting store in for decades has failed. You need to come up with a new plan. And you need it now." Riana turned and picked Luna up. She turned back to the Headman. "You know how to contact me when you do."

The pair vanished.

"I didn't know we can do that?" the old mare commented to the stallion, half amazed.

"We can't. It's kelpie magic." The stallion spat on the ground, pawing at the dirt. He looked up at the sky. A faint red star, its brilliance dulled by the sun, could be seen near the horizon in the east. "We had better get to work."

Riana and Luna appeared on the side of the road to Canterbury, just outside of Dover. Riana immediately shrank down to a human shape and placed Luna on the ground. The girl brushed herself off and drew her wand, placing it behind her ear for safekeeping.

"We should find Harry and the others," Luna said, looking at where Riana stood, a large, muscled man sniffing the air.

"If I can trust my human nose," Riana growled, "they're just south of here, in a house once owned by your House's founder."

"They found Ravenclaw Cottage?" Luna's eyes were bright. "I thought it wasn't real!"

Riana turned and stared at her. She'd heard a lot about Luna and Neville from Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione over the months they'd been travelling together. "You believe Crumble-nose Snorkinks are real, but you didn't think Rowena Ravenclaw once owned a house?" she asked sceptically.

"Crumple-Horned Snorkacks," Luna corrected absently. "I didn't think the house was still around."

Riana sighed and held out her hand. "Let's go find them."

Luna grinned and held her hand. A moment later, they were standing in the dusty, decaying remains of a house's entrance hall. They heard a heated conversation going on upstairs, and they made their way up to it.

"You can't just destroy that book, Ron!" Hermione yelled. "All the knowledge Rowena Ravenclaw worked hard on, the only copy _still in existence,_ and you want to burn it?"

"What else do you suppose we do, Hermione?" Ron demanded. His face was red when Luna and Riana opened the door.

"Copy it," Hermione said. "I'm sure if we do it by magical means the piece of soul won't come with it."

"And if it does?" Harry asked. "That'll be two Horcruxes instead of one to get rid of, Hermione."

"What if we do it by hand?" Ginny asked. "It can't be that hard."

"A one-thousand-year-old book, thicker than _Hogwarts, A History_?" Hermione's voice went shrill. "That could take _years_ , being careful not to lose any information, or damaging the book further! Not to mention that you boys have horrid handwriting!"

"It wouldn't matter if we damaged it, Hermione, the information's going to be destroyed anyway -"

"We should just burn it." Ron nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. "It's just a Potions book."

" _Just a Potions book!_ " Hermione sounded like she was going to pass out. "Ron, you are just so – so -"

"Clueless?" Riana supplied, making the others jump. "Ridiculous?"

"Hi Riana." Harry looked at the girl standing behind her. "What's Luna doing here?"

"She and Neville were helping students escape Hogwarts -"

"Neville's here?" Harry smiled.

Riana looked the others in the eye. "Unfortunately not. The Death Eaters caught him and Luna. Luna got away, to me, but we fear Neville's dead."

The teens stared at the dog-shaped Kelpie, their faces reflecting the grief on Luna's and Riana's. Harry sat heavily on a decaying chair. There was a snap and he fell to the floor amongst the remains of it. Hermione and Ron, who were closest, ran over to help him.

After assuring everyone that he was all right, Harry asked, "So what do we do now?"

They were quiet for a minute before Hermione drew her wand and pointed it at the Potions book. No one moved.

A few seconds later, a second Potions book was sitting in her arms. "Harry, destroy that book, if you please," she said, leaving the room to peek around the doorway. Everyone else followed her.

Harry's wand poked out around the doorframe. He took careful aim, checked that his friends were halfway down the hall and aimed again. Then he cast the Killing Curse on the book. The green light rebounded off its cover and Harry polled his wand in next to him. The light hit the wall behind him, causing it to alight. Harry and Hermione quickly doused the fire.

When they looked into the room, the Potions book was a pile of ash being blown out of the window by the draught running through the house.

"Well, there's another one down." Harry beckoned Ginny closer and the six of them made their ways downstairs to cry their grief for Neville.

0: Special Edition: The Daily Prophet Evening Report

 **Aurors, Students Killed**

By Brenda Daile

A group of the remaining Aurors from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement revealed to the _Daily Prophet_ this morning that a large group of officers went on a mission to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to attempt a negotiation with the new Headmaster for the release of the students.

The negotiation attempt failed. Eight out of the nine Aurors who volunteered for this mission were killed on sight as a _Daily Prophet_ reporter waited outside for news of success. The reporter, one Rita Skeeter, was killed as well. The last Auror managed to escape through the Dark Forest to bring the news to the attention of the Ministry of Magic.

Aurors Nymphadora Tonks, David Proudfoot, Michael Savage, Gawain Robards, Bryce Williamson, Alastor Gumboil, Maggie Donovan and Lucy Brayton will be publically mourned for their attempt to free the children held under Voldemort's care in Hogwarts castle.

Perhaps as a result of this alleged attempt to free the students of Hogwarts, nine students have been found dead surrounding the castle, showing signs of the Killing Curse. Neville Longbottom, Terry Boot, Hannah Abott, Morag McDougal, Lavender Brown, Padma Patil, Delina Everett, Lisa Turpin and Daphne Greengrass were all from Seventh Year and Year mates of Harry Potter.

Is this also and attempt to draw the Chosen One out?

The bodies of the children were found by notorious member of the Order of the Phoenix and soon-to-be-Minister, Arthur Weasley. The Order has been working tirelessly alongside the Ministry in great attempts to take down the Dark Lord.

The recently-widowed Mr. Weasley said that he was "relieved" his own children were not among the dead, though he did "understand what a shock this news will mean to the greater public, especially the parents of the children."

Details of the funeral will be sent to every witch or wizard related to either the students or Aurors killed via the Floo network.

All of the staff here at the _Evening Prophet_ supply our sincere regrets to the dead children's' families, and join them in mourning.

Arthur Weasley told the _Evening Prophet_ that they "urge members of the families devastated not to confront the Death Eaters or the Dark Lord, but take their actions to the Ministry Help Night, taking place on the 31st of January, at 7:30 pm in the Ministry itself."

It is unknown which students remain at Hogwarts, as word has reached us here at the _Daily_ and _Evening Prophets_ that some were being smuggled out of the castle by Neville Longbottom, one of yesterday's casualties.

Augusta Longbottom was not a patient woman. She had no patience for lollygaggers, for instance, or people who made a nuisance of themselves for fun.

She slammed the _Evening Prophet_ down on the kitchen table, fighting back tears. The boy she had raised like a son – her grandson – was dead because of the jumped-up megalomaniac sitting in Hogwarts Castle, pretending to own the world.

Augusta picked up her wand. She might have failed Charms and Potions in her Hogwarts days, but she far-excelled in Defence Against the Dark Arts. She was going to set Voldemort straight if it killed her.

With a _crack_ that echoed around the empty house, the last of the Longbottoms Disapparated.

Mrs. Patil, Everett, Brown, Boot, Turpin and Abott were sitting in Mrs. Boot's garden, enjoying the tea and company and gossip when five owls swooped out of the sky to land in front of the women. They each reached out and pulled the paper off the owl's leg and placed the standard fee in the sacks before the birds flew off.

"Oh no."

The six women snapped open their papers and perused the same article. Mrs. Everett felt tears pouring down her cheeks as they all closed their copies at once, just after they read their child's name. They all stood as an owl appeared over the roof to drop a letter in front of each of them and fly off.

The letter was from Voldemort, chastising them for not joining his side. It was full of scorn and malice, and each of the women set it alight.

"I shall see you later, I expect," Mrs. Patil said, wiping her eyes before taking her wand out. "I shall Floo you tomorrow morning." With that, she Disapparated from the garden.

"We'd better be going too," Mrs. Turpin said, lifting up the toddler sitting at her feet. She buried her face in the child's neck as they Disapparated away. The other women followed her.

Mrs. Boot was the last woman left in the garden. She picked Tricie up out of the dirt and took her inside, kissing her on the forehead. Then she put her to bed.

She wandered downstairs and left the _Prophet_ open at the page of the report, along with a note. Then she, too, Disapparated away.

Mr. McDougal was sitting in front of his fire, reading the _Evening Prophet._ It was something he did every day, cover to cover and back again, in case he missed something the first go through.

He was reading the paper for the first time when he got to the same article. The pipe held between his lips fell to the floor where it scattered burning tobacco across the rug. Mr. McDougal was paying the small fire smouldering to a start under his feet no mind; he had just read his only child's name in the paper. And she was dead.

"That rotten Voldemort," he hissed, standing up and fetching his wand. "I've had just about enough of him! Kill my only child!"

Mr. McDougal Disapparated, leaving the house to burn.

Mr. Greengrass spat coffee over his morning paper. One of his children, his only daughter, was dead. He was in shock for a a few seconds before anger flared.

Mr. Greengrass stood up and threw his paper in the corner. _How dare those Ministry incompetents not tell me that Daphne –_ My Daph-o-dille _\- was found dead this morning! I'm going to…_

"Where're you going, Dad?" his son Mike asked as his father stormed past him, a murderous look on his face.

"Out," was all he said before he Disapparated from the house.

"Wow. Must be the Ministry again," Mike muttered before he spied the screwed-up _Prophet_ in the corner. "Or not."

21: The Hogwarts Heroes

Augusta Longbottom, Brendan Greengrass, Grant McDougal, Jane Turpin, Shanti Patil, Lilac Brown, Mary Boot, Diane Everett and Grace Abbott Apparated into the village of Hogsmeade within sight of one another.

"I suppose you heard the news," Augusta said darkly, motioning to the castle.

"Yes. We've all lost a child that had no place in this war," Grant replied, glaring at the castle. "All for Harry Potter."

"Not for Harry," Shanti said, looking at Grant. "For the creature sitting in the Headmaster's chair, imagining himself king of all people."

Grace stood taller, looking around at the other aggrieved parents. "I will no longer sit still and depend on a child to rid the world of the Death Eater General."

Lilac, Shanti, Brendan, Jane and Mary nodded resolutely, turning their faces up to the castle. Augusta, Grant, Diane and Shanti looked up at the castle, then down at their aging bodies, stood up taller and nodded resolutely.

Before any of them could do anything, however, a light appeared between Augusta and Lilac. When the adults' eyes had adjusted to the early northern darkness again, the parents noticed that a dog seemed to be standing there.

"What's that dog doing here?" Shanti asked. She shivered when the glowing blue eyes of the dog focussed on her.

"My name is Riana."

The parents jumped and trailed their wands on the dog. They didn't notice ten shapes detach themselves from the shadows and move closer.

"I have been sent here by a friend of your children's. Harry Potter."

"What are you?"

"I am a Kelpie."

Brendan hissed. "A kelpie ate my wife. Why should I trust you?"

"Because she's not that kind of Kelpie."

The parents turned in fright and trailed their wands on the new arrivals. Only Brendan Greengrass was smart enough to keep his wand on Riana, who turned into a spider monkey and scuttled through Grant's legs, racing towards the tallest figure. Riana grabbed hold of Ron's hand and swung herself up onto his shoulder, chattering at the parents.

"Where did you lot come from?" Augusta barked, lowering her wand.

"Oh, from around. We've been here for an hour."

"I'm sorry about Neville," Luna said, stepping forward to lay a hand on Augusta's shoulder, the old woman's grief reflected on her face. "He was a great friend."

Augusta nodded, then drew in a deep breath and stood tall. "Grief is well and good, but it's anger that will get the job done."

"What job?" Seamus asked, looking between the parents. "And surely you aren't all here to support Mrs. Longbottom?"

"Our children have also been killed," Mary Boot hissed, glaring at him. "They weren't even part of the war!"

"They were by being at Hogwarts," Dean answered, sitting on a step to the Hog's Head. "We all are."

"How did you get here?" Diane Everett asked, lowering her wand, but not putting it away. She was still cautious of the monkey hanging from Ron's arm.

"Do you think you are the only ones who can Apparate?" Blaise demanded in a hiss.

Mrs Abbott stared at him. "Aren't you one of them?"

"Ha. Like my poor, departed mother, I belong to neither side. I am here to get back at Voldemort for killing her." Blaise's eyes glinted in the moonlight.

"We have to get past the Death Eaters first, Zabini," Michael Corner hissed at the Italian. "Unless you noticed a way in -"

"How about the way you got out?" Diane asked, looking at Justin Finch-Fletchley.

"We could do that. I don't think they've found it," Justin said, looking over his shoulder.

Eight more figures exited the shadows. Four were men, four, women.

"Mr. Weasley and Lovegood, Mrs. Corner, Finnigan and Finch-Fletchley, I'm sure you know who these people are," Harry said, watching Augusta Longbottom's reaction with amusement. She was staring at Mr. Lovegood with complete surprise and indignation on her face.

"Lovely to meet you all," Mr. Lovegood said, and hit the side of his head. His eye, more normal-looking than Mad-Eye Moody's but with the same abilities, swung around to look at the parents. "I'm sure you know that Harry's in charge here?"

"He most certainly is not!" Augusta cried, her voice echoing down the streets, "I'm only here to avenge my grandson!"

They all made shushing sounds, flapping their hands at her and glanicing around, worried about approaching Death Eaters.

"We're all here for a reason."

Riana fell from Ron's arm and grabbed his trousers, slowing herself down enough to avoid hitting her face on the floor. Ron grabbed his trousers and pulled them back up, out of Riana's clutches. The monkey fell to the floor and shifted into a dragon as tall as Ron.

"Whether it be for avenging friends, or family, or ridding the world of evil, we are all here for a reason. The first two reasons, however, fall under the last." The dragon peered through the darkness at Harry, then Augusta. "The Chosen One is in charge. He alone holds the key to defeating evil because your grandson is dead. Without him, Harry is not only the Chosen One, but the Only One."

Augusta glared up at the dragon. For a moment it seemed as though she were about to argue. Then she sighed and turned to face the castle. "How are we going to do this, then?"

Morning dawned on the castle doors. Inside, students stood beside their house tables while the 'Professors' went through a roll call.

"Two escapes over the night. One from Hufflepuff and one from – Oh dear. One from Slytherin." Voldemort looked down at his own house. There were three missing seats – One for the girl he had killed, one for the boy who had escaped last month, and now one for the boy gone last night.

"That is a bit of a worry. Isn't that a bit of a worry, Severus?"

"Yes, my Lord," Snape replied dutifully. "Quite a worry."

"I wonder where Lucius has gotten to this time," Voldemort said in a softer voice as he waved his hand. The students sat down worriedly and began to slowly eat.

"I don't know, my Lord. He keeps odd hours for a human."

"How so?" Voldemort asked, intrigued.

"Out at all hours, never sleeping."

"Really? Well, that's interesting -"

The doors to the Great Hall opened and Lucius strode into the hall, swallowing something.

"Sorry I'm late, my Lord, I had to see to my wife. She's very ill." Lucius knelt in front of the staff table, his head bent.

"That's quite a coincidence, Lucius. You see, you have been out all night, and we have an information leak. Tell me, in absolute truth, where you were last night."

"I was looking after -"

" _Liar. Tell the truth._ "

Lucius started trembling. "My Lord, I _was_ looking after -"

" _The truth, you incompetent liar!_ "

"I am not incompetent, and I don't know what else I could tell you, my Lord."

" _Quiet, Malfoy! If that is who you are._ "

Too late, Lucius realised that Voldemort had been speaking Parseltongue. His eyes closed in an expression that said clearly, _Oh, hell._ "My Lord -"

"Quiet!" Voldemort stood up. The students in the hall shuffled back in their seats, away from him. The ones at the end fell off with eight _bangs_ and cries of 'Ow!'

Lucius looked around helplessly, and then seemed to make a decision. He stood up, a few inches taller than Voldemort, and he started to change.

Voldemort stared in open-mouthed shock when Lucius turned into a large Swedish Short-Snout. "It can't be…"

Snape looked at the dragon and subtly got out of his seat, heading for the doors. Before he could reach them, however, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, Seamus, Michael, Dean, Justin and Blaise stood in the doorway, the adults right behind them.

"Just in time," Snape said, turning to face the dragon and students. "The party's just getting started."

22: End of Days

Harry stared at the Potions Master-turned-Defence-Professor. "What?"

"Something your mother once told me." Snape waved it off, drawing his wand.

"Can we have a go at these idiots yet?" Seamus asked, looking over Harry's shoulder, rolling up his sleeves. "Me Irish blood's a-pumping for some fighting."

"I agree," Mrs. Finnegan said, staring hard at the Death Eaters attempting to stun Riana as she caused mayhem, "but mayhap we should get the kids out of here first?"

Harry cupped his hands around his mouth and was about to shout when Hermione's voice echoed around the room. "Every teenager unwilling to fight, leave the Hall now. Your parents should be waiting for you in Hogsmeade."

Large groups of teenagers headed for the doorway. Harry's group split in half to let them out.

"It would be a shame to destroy the tables," Harry commented to Hermione. She grinned at him.

"Better get them out of here, then," she said, lifting her wand. The House and staff tables vanished. The Death Eaters and the few students that were taking shelter underneath them swarmed, like a stone lifted to find a nest of ants.

Riana roared, a large cut gracing her side as she swished her tail.

"Let's GO!" Harry yelled, lifting his wand. Each member of Harry's group cast a charm towards the ranks of Death Eaters. Three of them hit Riana, and she fell amongst them.

"Riana!"

Harry, Ron and Hermione entered the fray, followed closely by Luna and Ginny. The others spread out along the wall, using it to keep the Death Eaters from their backs.

The kelpie in Loch Ness lifted its head to the sun. Something in its mid was telling it to move south, to a castle.

" _He caught a renegade!_ " it hissed, and vanished without a trace.

Running around the shores of the greater lakes and seas and across the English Channel from the European Mainland, the kelpies vanished from their assigned habitats. Countless Muggles blamed freak weather conditions for flocks of birds, pods of dolphins, sharks and other marine life vanishing all over Europe.

None of them were fazed when people in strange attire appeared to wipe their memories. Mostly because they couldn't remember them.

The kelpies reappeared inside Hogwarts' Great Hall, and immediately flew at anything not wearing black that they could see. Three latched onto Riana, while others were driven away by the adult wizards.

The younger wizards attacked them with anything they could think of, with varying results.

Seamus fell under three while his mother battled with six.

Blaise, discovering the Charm that created the best results, threw four off Justin and dragged him through the doors so he would not be attacked again. Upon his return, two launched themselves at him.

"Use the Molting Charm!" Blaise yelled.

"Which is?" Dean yelled, conjuring a bat and hitting the kelpies with it.

"Mo—Mo— _Mortinliast_!" Blaise yelled as a kelpie threw itself at him. It caught him on the shoulder and shifted into a lion, dragging him down with it.

Dean blasted the kelpies attacking him away and went after the ones attacking Blaise.

Voldemort laughed at Riana, lying broken, bleeding and defenceless, the size of a dog, on the ground as Harry and the others blasted their way through the Death Eater ranks. The other, flesh-eating kelpies around her leered down at her half-dead dragon form, licking their lips.

"Before I kill you, Kelpie, you get to watch Harry Potter die. And here he comes now to speed up the show." Voldemort raised his wand.

For Harry, the next few seconds moved in slow motion. Every instant seemed to take four times as long to find his brain as normal.

As Voldemort's wand lifted, Riana, finding strength from somewhere, shifted into her dog-shape and stood on her hind feet between Voldemort and Harry. She let out a loud, forlorn and resigned shriek, where she stayed, even with a broken back leg.

She stood for the smallest instance of time before a jet of green light issued from Voldemort's wand. The dragon crumpled to the ground, her golden eyes staring glassily up to the sky. Her dog body lay as battered, broken and bleeding as her dragon body had been.

Reality crashed in on Harry.

" _Riana!_ " he cried, echoed by four other voices around him. Harry looked up from Riana's body to find that he was facing the tip of Voldemort's wand.

"That's it," Harry declared, standing over the body of Riana, as though to protect it. "I've had enough of this war, I've had enough of deaths and I've had enough of you! It's time that you get what's coming to you!"

Voldemort laughed. "What can you do to me, Harry Potter?"

Ginny placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. The young man was radiating fury and magic, enough to make her flinch back. Harry looked at her, his face slightly more peaceful, but still radiating fury.

"This."

There was a loud bang as the floor underneath Voldemort's feet fell in. Harry reached down and grabbed Riana's body before the ceiling fell in on the people in the Great Hall.

With the complete destruction of one part of its structure, Hogwarts castle started falling in: corridors, classrooms, dungeons and even the towers fell into the earth. With the charms protecting the place gone, the ones holding it up failed as well, and the entire thing collapsed.

"Is it over?"

"I don't know."

23: The Fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Luna Apparated on the hill in front of Hogwarts. Around them appeared all the people who had entered the castle with them, minus Michael's mum and Luna's dad.

"Mum!" Michael yelled, looking around Hogwarts Grounds with wide eyes. "Mum, where are you?"

Michael ran off into the crowd while Luna looked around her.

"Where's your dad, Luna?" Harry asked, not looking away from the castle ruins.

"If he's not here, he must be visiting Mum," she said in a distant voice. A voice that she hadn't used in months. Her distance was betrayed by a single tear that leaked down her cheek.

Harry reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder. To his surprise, she turned to him and hugged him, burying her face in his shirt. Harry turned red and awkwardly patted her on the back.

"If it were any more awkward here, Harry, you'd be a tomato." Ginny shook her head and placed a hand on Luna's shoulder. Luna turned to look at her, looked at Harry, turned red and backed up a few spaces.

"Ginny, I'm sorry -"

"Don't worry about it, Luna," Ginny said, smiling at the girl. "That's what he's here for, after all." The smile fell from her face. "Come on. We'll find Michael and the three of us can look for your mum and dad."

"Okay." Luna turned from Harry and the pair started off into the crowd.

The earth shook. Ginny looked to Harry. "Please tell me you did that."

Harry shook his head. The earth rolled again. Harry looked at Hogwarts just in time to see Voldemort holding a sword aloft, shouting something.

"Oh no," Harry muttered, before he turned to the crowd, who was watching Voldemort in sick fascination. "Run! Everybody run! Get out of here!"

Panic seized the crowd. Many cracks were heard, and Arthur Weasley, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna and Michael were alone on the hill with Voldemort.

"I said run!" Harry yelled at them. They all shook their heads. "Get out of here."

"No, Harry. You promised not to run away without us. We won't run away from you."

"He'll kill you!"

"So?"

That simple question made Harry speechless as he turned to look at Voldemort. Ginny's hand slid into his right hand as Luna's slid into his left. They looked at him, then at Voldemort, who was glowing bright blue.

Ron put an arm around Hermione as he placed his left on Ginny's shoulder. She smiled back at him, and then looked forward at the Death Eater General.

Michael, feeling left out, placed his left hand on Luna's left shoulder, standing just behind the Ravenclaw. She smiled at him and reached up to touch his hand in reassurance before her hand dropped and her attention focussed on Voldemort.

Arthur was torn. He didn't know whether to leave the teens to their stand and run, or to join them. He made a choice and stepped forward. Harry, Ron, Ginny, Hermione and Luna turned to look at him. All had drawn their wands except Harry, Ginny's hand still in his. They shook their heads at him and Michael turned to him, feeling like an intruder.

"Run, Mr. Weasley. Your staying will do no one any good. Someone needs to survive this to tell the world what happened to us."

"But -"

"Go," all six of them said quietly. Arthur looked at them all with hopelessness in his eyes.

"Goodbye," he said, equally quiet, turning and Apparating back to the mountains to the west, where he could watch but be in no danger.

Ron let Hermione go and lifted Riana's body, placing it in front of Harry. They could feel Voldemort's spell growing.

"This stance will get us all killed," Harry told Luna and Michael, then looked to the others. "None of you owe me loyalty to stay."

"But we will, Harry," Michael said.

"Neville would be proud of us." Luna smiled serenely, a smile Harry mirrored. He turned back to Voldemort.

"As would our parents, Sirius and Dumbledore," Ron added, squeezing Ginny's shoulder and kissing Hermione on the forehead.

Before anything else was said, Voldemort cried out in triumph as a ghostly, blue-tinged figure on an equally-ghostly horse appeared in front of him.

"The target?" it said in a voice that carried to the teens. It was the sound of his mother's voice, and it struck a chord in his soul.

"Them!" Voldemort yelled in glee, pointing at Harry and the group.

The spectre nodded. "And the price?"

"Take your price!"

"Very well."

The spectre swooped on Voldemort. It was just as the Hallow touched his skin that he realised his grave error. The shock on his face remained as he collapsed on the ruins.

The blue-tinged spectre turned to Harry and his group. As the Deathly Hallows Horseman rode down on them, Harry looked at Riana's body, and thought of those that had been lost in the war.

The memory made him hold Luna and Ginny's hands tighter. Ginny and Luna returned the hold, and lifted their other hands to the ones on their shoulders. Michael and Ron squeezed their shoulders tightly and Ron held Hermione tighter still. She hugged him and held Michael's hand, offering him some comfort.

"Goodbye," they whispered as one as the Horseman washed over them.

24: Arthur Weasley

My name is Arthur Weasley.

If you've been reading the Harry Potter books, you know who I am.

I worked in the Ministry of Magic. I was married to Molly Prewett. I was offered, and turned down, the role of the new Minister of Magic. I was a member of the Order of the Phoenix. I was the spokesperson for the restoration of Hogwarts castle and the Ministry of Magic.

I'm a Gryffindor. I always have been, always will be.

Out of all these things, the thing about me that brings me the most pride is that I am the father of Ronald Bilius Weasley and Ginevra Molly Weasley, two members of the final group that stayed to defeat Voldemort.

The others who stayed – and defeated Voldemort – were Michael Corner, Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood and the Great Harry Potter.

I am proud to say that I knew all these people – now referred to as the Sacred Seven – personally, though I did not know Michael and Luna as well as I could have.

These six people did not do it all on their own, of course. They had the help of a very special Kelpie; as different to other kelpies, she always said, as night is to day.

They also had the help of the Other One, Neville Longbottom, without whom their efforts might have been in vain. He helped them by supplying them with the last way into Hogwarts. Without it, the war might have turned the other way.

These eight individuals have been immortalised in Unbreakable Stone on the hilltop they stood on for the last time.

Riana's place had been changed, of course, because she was dead when Voldemort finally fell, but she played one of the largest parts in the story of the Dark Lord's defeat.

I am the only living person who saw the Last Stand.

But not for much longer. Like all people, I am dying. Time, even for us wizards, is not something easily overpowered.

Before I leave to see my wife and eldest children, I must tell you all what happened after the Last Stand. I am sad to say I lied in my initial report.

After I saw the ghostly Horseman of the Deathly Hallows ride down on the children, I waited for it to dissipate, dreading what I would find when it did. When it was gone, I Apparated to Hogwarts, to find that there were no bodies lying on the ground, dead and gone. Not even Riana's body was there.

Please don't think that the Horseman took their bodies. That too would be a lie.

The Horseman did more than take their bodies. He turned them into stone as they stood in the last seconds of their lives, each offering everyone else some comfort, receiving some in turn.

He preserved them for everyone to see, staring forever at the rising sun over the ancient lands of Hogwarts, and the ruins of the castle they so loved.

Just moments before the Horseman reached the group of teens, standing strong against it, I felt the most overpowering sense of love, forgiveness and sacrifice radiating from Hogwarts Grounds.

I'm sure you all felt it too, no matter how far away you were; it was that potent.

Those teens standing there are not stone statues, created by a master craftsman. They are the real bodies of the Sacred Seven, preserved forever in Unbreakable Stone, free from weathering and war for all time.

I am the only person living who saw the Last Stand of the Sacred Seven.

But now you know it too.

And that is enough for me.

 _A speech given by Arthur Weasley on the 17_ _th_ _of October 1999, at the memorial for_

 _Harry Potter_

 _Ginevra Weasley_

 _Luna Lovegood_

 _Ronald Weasley_

 _Michael Corner_

 _Hermione Granger and_

 _Neville Longbottom_

 _He died one hour after this speech was given._

 _~May his soul rest in peace~_

 _~Be he missed dearly, the King of All~_


End file.
